The Devil you Know
by Alaster Boneman
Summary: As the fourth year in the delta quadrant nears and the Intrepid Voyager crew head state into Borg space and blundered into a war that rages between the Borg Collective and species 8472. Tempers start rise as the crew are pushed to edge as alliance are made and broken, friendships will be put to the test and nothing will be the shame again. AU/fix-it-fiction
1. Chapter 1 Beginnings

The Devil you know a Star Trek voyager fan fiction

By Alaster Boneman

**The Devil you know**

**Chapter 1 Beginnings**

**AN: I am reposting the TDYK chapters so their, should be less mistakes made but my bata is busy so your forgiveness please if I miss anything.**

**AN: This story was made for non-profit. I own nothing**

**The Devil you know **

**Beginnings**

"**There is always a bigger fish" Qui-Gon Jinn**

In the vast cold empty vacuum of space lit only by the gentle light of far off stars nebula's and other space anomalies vast and uncounted all was quiet and peaceful. At the moment undisturbed by the petty wars and bloody conflicts the galaxy over. The only evidence of life in this quiet corner of the delta quadrant was three massive dark metal cubes flying at high speeds toward parts unknown.

These massive ships belong to one of the most powerful, technological advanced races in the Milky Way. Those who live and die aboard these massive ships are the poor individuals unlucky enough to be assimilated having all traces of Individuality removed. They minds and personality's wiped clean and twisted becoming forever linked into a great and terrible hive mind, the Collective. The Borg knowing nothing of fear, love, hate, compassion, joy, hope, anger or any other emotions only governed by the all-encompassing never ending quest to add to their perceived perfection. The Borg have indeed rarely ever been threaten or ever needed the assistance of those outside of their Collective. Thousands of species that make up the ranks of the Borg never posed even slightest threat and any and all resistance has proven futile as the Collective has consumed thousands of words and countless peoples have been bent to the will of the Collective.

Three massive metal cubes close on what would seem to be a their latest victims a small group of sleek space craft that to the unformed would look akin to the giant Cephalopods found in many a planets oceans. The cubes speak as one as they close in on their, would be pray. Their voice is a metallic unfeeling monotone neither male nor female made from millions of voices speaking all one.

"WE ARE THE BORG… Existence as you know it is over…. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own…. Your will adapt to services us…. You will be assimilated Resistance is fut…."

Before the cubes could complete their declaration their seemly invincible ships are hit by streams of yellow lighting blasting huge chunks of metal flying in all directions. The Borg ships for their part tried to adapt to their new enemy's weapons but they cannot. The billions of the Collective, working together as one could not hope to find a way to adapt their attacker's weaponry. It was to alien even as the Collective to understand, the hive mind knew that these cubes like those before them had no chance of defeating these aliens, species 8472. The first of the cubes vessels was ripped apart piece by piece and their bleeding massive fires into the void fuelled by the energy and atmosphere from inside the cube. Even as the cube's 'crew' died and the aliens ship started to attack the other two the Collective analyzed the attackers ships, weapons and defiance's.

The Borg ships were hit buy yet more of the strange lighting they fired all their most deadly weapons at the threat. Brilliant flashers of green as lasers, torpedo's and other weapon that if used adjust any other species space craft would have won the Collective this battle however even if most of these weapons find their mark on species 8472 bio ships had little to no effect.

The aliens' ships were a deep brownish orange color and resemble long sleek pods with three prongs erupting from the front of the ships. Their long bodies ended in three tall fins lined with silver. The bio ships flue around the Borg cubes their weaponry ripping into the mettle hulls of the slow move cubes, each strike made the Borg craft bleed plasma fire and crew into the void. Soon the battle ends with the complete destruction of the three Borg cubes, there hulls and shields unable to keep the deadly onslaught at bay, the crew were vented into the cold vacuum of space around them. The battle won by the alien invaders, the strange bio-ships of species 8472 move on to the next conquest leaving the debris of the Borg behind them spinning silently in the vast cold empty vacuum of space lit only by the gentle light of far off stars.

**Federation ship USS Voyager. **

A woman lightly hummed a tuneless melody as she stood in a stranded federation turbo lift which travailed though the ship she had called home for the last few years. She had dark brown hair that was tired into a pony tail. She was attractive if unassuming, her face round and net her frame compact. She wore red blazer and long black pants with heeled shoes and four golden pins in her down collar her from denoting her rank. Captain Kathryn Janeway had finally finished her shift on the bridge, leaving her friend and second in command, Commander Chakotay in charge for next few hours. She was final going to get a change to relax in her Leonardo de Vinci holo program. It had been a stressful few weeks and she had not had the time to indulge herself on the holodeck for quite some time. In fact the same could be said for the crew at large. Not sense Seska's had reached a ghostly hand into the present. The deranged woman left a booby trap in the holodeck which had activated and trapped more than a dozen crew members in a holo program designed as a 'worst case Scenario' by the ever partial Tuvok which the Cardassian had turned deadly. Tuvok had been initially designed the program to train Starfleet offices to deal with a possible Maquis insurrection. When the Voyager crew had to join forces with Chakotay's Maquis cell to first fight the Kazon a barbaric race that had been a thorn in Crew side ever sense the Care taker had dragged them to the delta quadrant. Chakotay ship the Val gean had been sacrificed to win the day. Maquis rebels having now else to go had become crew alongside the Starfleet offices who had once been hunting them. So Tuvok had updated his program time and again to deal with the ever evolving situation, but as the Maquis had proved themselves loyal to a fault time and again, Tuvok had abandoned the program. However at some point Seska must have found the program and uttered it been before she had been ousted as Cardassian spy masquerading as _Bajoran_ and her subsequent death nearly a year later. The crew had do a massive overhaul of all the ship's systems to make sure that Seska had not left any other surprise's for Voyager. It seemed they were in the clear now, though with Seska one could never know for sure. For all her delusions the Seska had been quite brilliant in life.

Kathryn was still amazed that someone who had been dead for nearly a year could come back to haunt them like some a ghost with gripe with the living. Like from one of Tom Paris B movies. She shook her head at the thought. The turbo lift doors opened and she walked down the hall towards Holodeck two.

Stepping up to Holodeck's computer console she surprised to see Ensign Kale Blain step out of the sweet with a tool box in one hand and a data pad in the other. Ensign Kale Blain was a 27 years old short, lightly tanned man with a slight Australia accent which managed to work its way past the universal translator of the Starfleet communication badge that every member of the crew wore. His only distinguishing mark was a large mole that sat just blow his left eye. She couldn't really say that much about the young man other than he worked down in engineering and was one her original star fleet crew with a good if un-remarkable work record.

"Good After noon Ensign" Janeway said announcing herself.

The Captain sudden appearance startled Kale, taking his concentration away from his data pad which fell out of his hand "Cap…Captain!" he strutted brokenly.

Kathryn caught the data pad before it fell to the floor and handed it back to the startled Ensign, she flashed him a reassuring smile "I didn't mean to startle you Ensign Blain" she told him honestly.

Kale was flustered and spluttered as he tried to explain himself. "I'm… sorry Captain I was distracted with the maintenance on the holodeck" he muttered still trying to recover from the Captain sudden appearance.

"That's all right Mr. Blain so everything in working order?" Janeway asked trying to put the younger man at easy.

"O yes Captain every things is fine" Blain said nodding like a cadet strait out of the academy. Kale started to get his confidence as the surprise from Captain Janeway popping up from nowhere begun to fade.

"Well that's good, let's hope there are no more booby traps hum" Janeway said with a slight smile to tell Ensign Blain it was a joke.

Kale flushed a deep red. "Yes right… of cause" He said with a forced chuckle "….Well not to be rude Captain but I have to get down to Deck twelve, there some of the bio-jell packs that need replacing". Blain told the Captain having regained some of his confidence if not his self-esteem or dignity. He had no illusions as to his standing in the grand scheme of Voyager he was just a cog machine so the last thing he ever expected was an impromptu conversation with the Captain.

"Dismissed Ensign and keep up the good work" Janeway said cheerfully.

"Thanks Captain… enjoy the holodeck." Blain said and with a stoop of his shoulders her about turned and walked down the hallway.

Kathryn just shook her head and thought to herself 'that one's not much of a talker'. She stepped up to the holodeck control panels and activates her program me file.

"Computer activate Leonardo de Vinci Janeway pie 694" Janeway instructed.

"Program active, Enter when ready" the computer voice droned.

**Holodeck two**

She stepped into the holodeck and was greeted by Leonardo de Vinci's famous work shop. It was just how remembered it. The room was large yet craped with tables, chairs and other pieces of furniture scattered everywhere. The room was a chaotic mess with half-finished inventions and art work had been left to gather dust as their creator would flit about from project to project. The midday sun's light was streaming into the room from an open wind. She could just hear the light chatter from the passers-by on the street below carried on the wind. On the walls and ceiling hung all manner of devices, one of which was Leonardo de Vinci famous flying machine.

It was a thing of beauty and Kathryn's heart leaped with joy at the sight of it; she had always been a fan of the great master's works since before she could remember. Her late father had taken her and her younger sister to the Leonardo de Vinci museum more times than she could count. The memories came with both sadness and joy as memories often did for her but she had no time to think on her inner-musing as the man himself walked in from the outside hallway. The Hologram Leonardo de Vinci was in his mid 50is with a long white flowing beard which reached down to the top of his large gut. He was taller than her with wild unkempt hair pushed into a soft brown hat. A half dream like expression on his wrinkled face as if he had forgotten something but could not remember what it was.

Janeway for her part merely went "ammuh" to get the distracted man's attention.

"Arh' Signora I'm so sorry, your forgiveness please I did not know you were here my mind was on other things" Leonardo said in his thick Italian ascent. He walked up to her and gave her hands a small kiss then turned as if remembering what he came in for. Clarity crossing his aged face as he walked behind a desk she had not noticed before. The table itself was unremarkable but it was not the table that had caught both Kathryn's and Leonardo's eye. On the table sat what seemed to be a large box with an artificial arm made from wood and metal producing from it which ending in a human like hand.

He started tinkering with the arm box thing. "May I Ask what a fine young lady like yourself is doing in I'm my study? Signora…., Leonardo asked not looking up from the box waving his free hand around in the air as if to suggest her name was on the tip of his Tung.

"It's Catarina Janeway, Maestro do you not recall our meeting some weeks ago?" Janeway said with a teasing smile and a slight blush of her cheeks "We disused your great works. I was wounding if you had a chance to think on my offer of patronage for your works?" she asked stepping close to him "And perhaps a small desk to work on my own projects it would be a great honor to work alongside the great Leonardo de Vinci" Janeway said with the best and most confident smile she could muster.

Leonardo looked up from the internal workings of the arm box "Yes I recall you dear lady Catarina a most unusual request" He said rolling his eyes having herd similar propulsions before. Usual from lords or lady's with more gold than common sense and they always distracted him from his work than blamed him for not giving them the addition they wonted. "I have many patrons that invest in my great works as you say. The Cardinal himself has just thanked me for my latest portrait of his bumbling nephew" Leonardo said a little annoyance creeping into his voice now.

Kathryn caught the annoyance in Leonardo's work and thought to herself it was too bad he wasn't born in the 24 centaury were he wouldn't have deal with money or self-important nobles "Was the Cardinal not generous with his payments?" Janeway asked.

Leonardo felt his cheeks go red in frustration at the recent memory "Har the Cardinal is a _thief_… he contracted me to paint his beloved Nephew in the heroic style of a _Hercules_ or an _Achilles._ The effort on my part was greater than any act of Hercules or Achilles…. And what pray tell do you think he gave me in return?" Leonardo said puffin himself up with convection looking her strait in the eye.

She looked solemn for a moment "His everlasting appreciation and gratitude?" Janeway asked before a smile worthy of like the Cheshire cat filled her face.

He let at a long suffering sigh "Yes as you say the Cardinal's everlasting appreciation and gratitude….. So less than nothing" he said with a sigh "Sorry my dear…what did you say your name was again?" Leonardo asked disappointed in himself at his rude behavior toward this fine woman.

"Catarina Janeway" Janeway told him again not the slightest bit irritated. Leonardo de Vinci was a great man and well ahead of his time in so many fields that it defied all other conventicle knowledge. Saying all that the man had one clear fault he had a very short attention span.

"So you see my dear Catarina it is not about the money although that would be appreciated, I have far too many projects demanding my attention and so little time to complete them." He said wistfully. "Like this for example" Leonardo beckoned her over to the arm box. Kathryn could see more clearly the inside of the box which was filled with many gears and pistons of clockwork. She was once more impressed by the ingenuousness of Leonardo de Vinci, he was hundreds of years ahead of his time in the fourteenth century he had envisioned a mechanical tool not unlike the robot arms used in the twenty century onwards that had worked in factories.

"So what is this?" Janeway asked gesturing to the arm box playing into the holographic universe.

His eye lit up like a child about to unwrap his presents at Charismas "Ah I call it the Arm of Hephaestus every black smith will one day thank me for this wonderful new tool" Leonardo said as he wound a key in the back of the box.

"An aped name as he was the Greek God of the Forge, as I recall" Janeway stated sounding impressed. She watched him as he cranked the overly large key in the back of the machine.

The clockwork in side started click and shudder as the machine came to life to work the arm moved up and down until one of the gears broke and the machine came to a shuddering halt. "If I can ever get this damnable thing to work …" Leonardo exclaimed and yet again he started to fiddle with the box trying to remove the offending gear.

"Here let me help" Janeway says as she reaches for the box to aid him.

"My dear you will get grease all over your hands!" Leonardo stated stocked that a lady would work on something so dirty.

Kathryn merely shrugged her shoulders at this "You know what they say. Grease is good for the skin" She said jiving him a mischievous smile.

After a few moments of tinkling they got the broken gear out. "You see…broken… again" Leonardo made "hump" sound from the back of his throat. "Wood is just not strong enough to work for any length of time and the teeth of the piece breaks off and make a mess of the insides… I will need to find a substitute….but metal is so expensive and cannot be refined to these small dimensions." Leonardo frustration at been limited filling his poster. "I'm afraid that I am a man before his time" he sighed looking wistfully up to a, hear by crucifix that hung on the wall.

Kathryn looked up from the box and wiped her hands on a nearby rag. Even though she was in the holodeck and there would be no stains when she left when she decided to leave, it was all part of the fun. She walked over and gestured to the flying machine. "And what is this" Janeway said walking up to the machine. A mystifies smile filling her face.

"_Ah_, yet another uncompleted marvel of mine I believed since my imagination could take flight so easily my body could do the same, not so I'm afraid" Leonardo said sadness now filling his voice and ageing his wrinkled face.

"This machine is designed to flap like the way a bat or sparrow would. Have you very considered changing the design of it to that of a hawk or an eagle?" Janeway suggested playfully looking back to the great master.

Leonardo looked up at the flying machine with an expression of new found awe made him look twenty years younger. He left the arm of Hephaestus half disassembled and walked up to his master piece.

"A creature that uses the air itself to glide in the sky's above increasing its flight. Why did I never think of such a thing?" Leonard sated his face took on a look of pondering.

Kathryn shrugged "I'm sure that it would have come to you" Janeway told him honestly.

"I will start work on a new design at once and we can test it together" Leonard said as he just realizing what he just said, he looked at Kathryn his light brown eyes going wide a childlike wonder filling them. "Just a small desk you said?" Leonard asked bringing himself up to his full height trying to regain some dignity.

Kathryn clapped in excitement, than clamming herself she didn't won't her childhood idol, hologram or not to think she was some bubbly air head lady who was to lose with her gold. "Yes you won't even know I'm here and I'll pay a monthly rent for the space" Janeway said knowing she had him as Mark would say hook, line and sinker.

"Then we have a deal my dear Catarina and together we will make such marvels the like which no man has never seen before" Leonardo said with now joy filling his face.

As Leonardo started talking about all the adventures they would have and inventions they would build. She heard the all too familiar beep come from her com badge. "Janeway here" Janeway said with a long sigh.

"Captain I'm sorry to disturb you" Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres said over the com.

"That alright Lieutenant what was it?" Janeway asked get a felling she wasn't going to like B'Elanna had to say or more over finish her holo program. B'Elanna may not have the greatest love for Starfleet rules and glide lines but she knew better than to disturb her was of duty. In less the situation was dyer.

"Captain we have just lost contact with our last probe" B'Elanna informed her normally tone was stranded.

'There it was, and if B'Elanna of all people sounded worried then this wasn't going to be good news' Kathryn thought bitterly "Were you able to get any of the data back?" Janeway asked worried that was all five probes were lost now.

"Yes Captain…..I think you'll going to want to see this" B'Elanna said quietly now sounding very worried.

"I see…. B'Elanna on a scale of one to ten how bad is it?" Janeway asked not likening the fear that started bubbling up from her stomach.

"On a scale of one to ten", there was a long prose, "_eleven_" B'Elanna stated.

"I will be right there" Janeway told her Chief Engineer. Kathryn took one final look around the work shop. "Computer save program Janeway pie 694". She ordered.

"Program saved" the computer droned without feeling or inflection.

"Deactivate program" Janeway ordered with authority. The work shop then faded out of existence leaving only the grey hexagon's of the holo emitters in the room. She about faced and left for Engineering.

**Engineering **

Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres, her golden engineering jacket and black pants were smeared in oil and grease.Kathryn wasn't shore if she and ever seen B'Elanna not covered in one type of grime or another even so approved her warily. B'Elanna Torres was only half Klingon and unlike most of the Klingon's she had met in her life. She admittedly had only met a few of that freakishly tall and broad warrior race.

B'Elanna was as short, if not shorter than herself stocky rather than board. She had short black hair that fell half way to her checks and rounded her head and then of course there were her forehead ridges and slightly pointed teeth that crewed at her bottom lip that betrayed her mixed heritage. But out of all the Klingon's and even half Klingon's Kathryn had met, none could claim to have anywhere nearly the temper of her Chief Engineer.

So even as Captain she knew better than to rile up the other woman though right now see looked anything but riled in fact she looked pensive if not scared outright. "So what rates eleven on a scale of one to ten?" Janeway asked keeping her voice low so as to not alarm the engineering staff, who worked all round them.

B'Elanna grimaced "I better show you" B'Elanna said with an unusable amount of worry showing on her tanned face.

She taped the computer panel and showing her Captain their probe's last few mentions. She watched as the Captain Expression change from curiosity to dread as the blood drained form her face. B'Elanna couldn't fault Janeway for her reaction as she had shared same when Lieutenant Joe Carry and she had retrieved the data little more than twelve minutes ago.

"How many of the crew have you shared this with?" Janeway asked her tone deathly serious.

"Only Lieutenant Carry and I have seen it, and I have ordered him not to say anything yet." B'Elanna told the Captain seriously.

"That's was good thinking….. B'Elanna. We don't need people panicking just yet" Janeway told her 'no that will come soon enough' she thought to herself felling a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. "I want you to get as much information about… this as possible, involve who you feel you must but try to keep it on the numbers low for now…. I'm going to call a staff meeting at fourteen hundred hours and I want everything you're got by then" Janeway ordered.

"That shouldn't be problem, Captain" B'Elanna said as she locked back onto the frozen image on the screen. She glanced the time ship on one of the hear by consoles it was 12:02 plenty of time.

Feeling drained and in good need of a strong coffee "I will be in my ready room if you need anything" Janeway muted brokenly.

The Captain having gone B'Elanna called Lieutenant Joe Carry or just Joe to his friends, hell most people on board this ship, friend or not ended up calling him Joe over.

Joe Carry was a tall skinny man, with light reddish hair and bright amber colored eyes. "So how did the Captain take it?" Lieutenant Joe Carry asked as he walked up to his onetime rival now friend looking pensive.

She looked up sheepish at her tall friend "Not good" B'Elanna said quietly as they got into their work.

**Bridge**

The Bridge was just how Kathryn had left it. Ensign Samantha Wildman was working on one of the consoles in the far corner she was a slim tall, blonde headed woman, wearing a stranded blue science uniform. Samantha had been pregnant with her Ktarian daughter Naomi when Voyager had become stranded make her one the few on board to have immediate with her the only others were the Delaney twines. Naomi was coming up to three or four now though it was hard to tell as her mix heritage Ktarian meant that aged faster both mental and physically faster than a pure human child would fortunately this grow would slow down when the young girl got into her teens and she would live a normal human life span. Ensign Harry Kim had a mixed American, Asian heritage. He had short black hair and ever youthful face. He wore a bright yellow jacket of Comm's office; he was standing behind talking to his best friend Lieutenant Tom Paris about something inane. Tom Paris was sitting behind the Nav; he had dark blond hair and baby blue eyes and was wearing a red jacket.

Lieutenant Gregory Andrews was at Tactical because Lieutenant Tuvok was off shift. Lieutenant Andrews was a tall fit African American man with dark brown eyes and a small well-kept beard. At the opening of the Bridge doors Commander Chakotay stood up to see who had come out of the turbo lift.

Puzzlement filled his dark hansom face at seeing Kathryn renter the Bridge so soon after leaving. "Captain I thought you would be having fun with your de Vinci program?" Chakotay asked looking puzzled as he got out his chair. He was a tall dark-skinned man with deep brown eyes and tick black hair, above his left eye was a tribal tattoo that along with his dark, oak colored skin and almost wolfish features betrayed his Native American heritage. His gut told him something was up.

"I was Chakotay but I was but unfortunately…. I had to cut my holodeck time short… something has come up…" Janeway said trailing as her voice betraying her stress that had found a way to wormed itself into her soul.

"Would this have anything to do with the missing probe that B'Elanna combed me about?" Chakotay asked concern filling his voice he had known how much Kathryn had been looking forward to her holodeck time and only something important would have got her to delay her much needed off time and it wasn't like B'Elanna to keep anything form him as they had been friends for years.

"Yes Commander it is and I would rather not get into that here right now" Janeway said a little shapely as she looked around at the bridge crew who had stopped their good natured conversions with each other they must have heard the stress and worry in her voice.

"Can we do anything to help Captain?" Harry Kim asked kindly a small smile creeping across his face.

"Not right know Harry" Janeway said putting some warmth in her voice. She then left for her ready room with Chakotay following her in.

"You have the Bridge Tom" Chakotay said as he left.

"Right" Tom Paris said with a shrug as he got up from his pilot chair and sat in the vacant Commander's chair. The backup pilot Ensign Roy Culhane, who had been working on another console behind Harry, moved to take the helm. He was a tall and lanker New Yorker through and through with small blue eyes.

"So what do you think that was all about?" Tom asked to no one in particular trying to get Voyager's rumor mill up and working at speed.

"Could be that the probe found something before we lost contact with it" Andrews said concerned as to what it could have been to get the Captain so unnerved.

"Yeah it could be a wormhole or something like that and the Captain probably just doesn't won't to get our hopes up yet" Harry said with hope brimming in his eyes.

"I don't know Harry, knowing our luck it's probably will be a fleet of Kazon with a bone to pick" Tom said lightly teasing his friend.

"Well sorry that my mind doesn't automatically go to the darkest places, first" Harry said not letting Tom's teasing get to him down.

"I for one hope we left all that Kazon business behind us. It's not good for Naomi to grow up with a ship constantly attacked by some backwards lunatics who are more into picking fights then Klingons" Samantha said with no small amount worry crossing her small round face.

"Sorry Sam I didn't mean anything by it I was just joking with Harry" Tom said as an apology and gave her a smile he usually reserved for B'Elanna to keep the fiery half Klingon which he had a massive crush on from ripping his guts out.

"That's all right Tom" Samantha said with understanding.

"So what do you think Roy" Harry said trying to break the uncomfortable silence which was quickly descending on the Bridge.

"Oh no you don't you're not getting me into this Paris." Culhane said and went back to work.

At that Tom shock, his head and conceded that Roy Calhond was an 'all right pilot' but not the bravest person on Voyager. There was no love lost between them as Roy had been after his job for years now. "You're no fun" Tom said disappointed.

**Ready room**

Chakotay fallowed his Captain and friend in to the ready room. Kathryn kept walked to the replicator and ordered coffee. "Coffee black double strength …. You want anything?" Janeway asked of handedly before taking a sip of the steaming coffee that appeared before her, she sat behind her desk before taking a long sip.

'This must be really bad' Chakotay thought to himself, a grimace pulling at his face as a knot tried itself in his gut. He had a bad feeling when B'Elanna had only told him that they had lost the latest of their long range probes and nothing else. As she usually would so something really bad must have happened to the last probe. "No I'm fine Captain" he told her "So what's the matter?" Chakotay asked with concern as he tried to read her but whatever was bothering her she wasn't letting it show on her face. She just took another long sip of her coffee. It was clear that Chakotay wasn't leaving until he got an answer she looked up at said one word "Borg".

At hearing that name, all the colour drained from his face and a deep seated fear sank to his stomach. "I see…since we are not at red alert yet or hearing _'Resistance is futile_' I'm guessing this has to do with the Probe?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes Chakotay there I was finally getting some time to myself" she said somewhat sarcastically thinking 'just my luck'. "When B'Elanna calls me up and shows me this" she turned the computer and showed him the same video that B'Elanna had shown her not half an hour ago.

Kathryn Janeway didn't think it was possible but Chakotay had become even paler then when he heard her said Borg but at showing the probe's last moments she was proven wrong. As his normally dark skin went ghostly pail.

"You know what I think I will have a drink after all" Chakotay said as he walked over to the replicator "Ceylon tea hot". He ordered taking the cup in his hand and moving back to set on the chair directly in front of Kathryn desk.

"We always knew this day was coming" Janeway said with resignation, "No matter what course we took out here we knew that more likely than not we would come up against the Borg. The one thing Starfleet knew for certain was that the Borg came from the Delta Quadrant and ever since we found that Borg skeleton three months ago and your experience with the Co-operative before that" she said than stopped hoping she had not stuck a nev with her comment Co-operative but expression on his face was unreadable so she continued. "We knew this day was coming". She admitted.

"Yes Captain we did" Chakotay said his usually deep voice low and quite.

"So what do we do?" Janeway asked looking him in the eye.

"Well like you said we knew this day was coming and we can't avoid them forever so we are just going to have to play it by ear. I don't suppose we could turn around and find another way home?" Chakotay asked knowing either answer would make him feel even worse.

"Not likely according to what B'Elanna has already showed me we have been in their space for the last month" Janeway told him.

"A month and we haven't seen the Borg until now?" said Chakotay surprise filling his voice.

"I know puzzling isn't it?" Janeway said with a look of puzzlement on her own face.

"Yes it is" he said his dark tattooed brow creased in thought. "Well there could be any number of reasons we have seen them until know" Chakotay said trying to look on the bright side but where the Borg were concerned there wasn't much of one.

"Like what?" Janeway asked desperate to grab any straw.

"Well" Chakotay said racking his brain "Maybe they're not interested in Voyager, we are only one ship of a hundred and sixty souls so we may not be that high a target" he said but everything he know about the Borg made that scenario highly unlikely to say the least.

"That might be the case but seems unlikely" Janeway said she thought to herself that the Borg would let any ship pass into their space unmolested and more importantly unassimilated the possibility of that verged on the impossible. She had the horrible feeling something was up and if there was anything she hate was been out of the loop.

"We could have a Guardian Angel. Q does owe us a favor after we helped save his race from themselves" Chakotay said with a bit more hope in his voice but he didn't like the idea of something watching over them or even less been in that fiends det.

"That is a possibility but in all the time since then has Q showed us any favoritism or anyone else for that matter?" Janeway asked "and even if he was looking out for us we would know about we all know he would pop up on to brag than just to rub our nose's in it…. then he would properly turn Voyager into his own amusement park" Janeway said with a more than a little annoyance in her voice. She thought to herself 'if he really wanted to help us he could just snap his fingers and get them all home by lunch time'.

"That's true" Chakotay consider bitterly he didn't like Q in the slightest but been in his debt was better than the alternative but the obnoxious life form didn't seemed not to be in the mode in giving them any favors. "I suppose all we can is what we have always done. We make do with what we got and stand together" Chakotay told her supportive.

"Well we will call a senior staff meeting as soon as B'Elanna gets as much information from the probe's 'data' and then we will make a plan." She told him. "While we wait can you tell me if there is anything from your time with the Co-operative that could give us some insight into the Borg" Janeway said she did not what to upset him. She knew that his mind link with the Coo-perative was still a raw wound even mounts later.

"Firstly Captain I don't think we should compare the Co-operative to the Collective. Yes the Co-operative did use me to their, _own_ ends but they also let us go." Chakotay said as levelly as he could as he ran a hand thought his black hair. But everything I remember from the _link_ tells me that we should not under any circumstances underestimate the Borg" Chakotay said with conviction.

"Well that isn't a lot of help Chakotay" Janeway said moodily.

"What can I say I was only part of their link for a few hours and all I saw were their broken memories not tactical information on the Borg" Chakotay said correcting Kathryn mistaken belief that he had gained some new and deep insight of the Borg from the linked with to 20 odd former drones. The truth of the matter was he didn't remember that much and what he did was disjointed and hard to define.

They both set their in quiet Contemplation for some time trying to think of things to say but failing to find anything meaningful. The quite was finely broken by the beep of the com.

"Captain" B'Elanna's voice came in loud and clear.

"What is it Lieutenant have, you got something?" Janeway asked hoping it was good news or at least not as bad news.

"Yes Captain we found something that may help us" B'Elanna said without the worry that had tainted her voice when she first called her up.

"We could all do with some good news" Janeway commented.

"Well" Chakotay said gesturing to the door, "shall we?" Chakotay asked.

Kathryn Janeway taps her com badge. "This is Captain Janeway to all members of the senior staff please meet in the briefing room" Janeway ordered.

A Series of "Yes Captain's" filled the com and both of them left her ready room and headed to the conference room.

**To be continued in chapter 2 Fox and the Scorpion's part 1**

A:n I Hope you like this this first ever fan fiction and I really hope you liked it because it took a lot of work. Some of you may be wounding were seven of nine is don't worry I'm getting to her soon in the next chapters so you are going to have to be patience.

This chapter was short but the next chapter will be longer I do warring you know this story is going to be dark but that's how I wanted it. Any way I hope you enjoyed this you may also notice there is a lot of talking and conversions I'm just say I'm not really good at characters and I'm going to try and keep this in continuity with the show but it will go in its own direction. Hopefully, any who, Please review comment and make suggestions. But don't be a douche. Yours Alaster Boneman


	2. Chaprer 2 Fox and the Scorpion part 1

52

The Devil you know a Star Trek voyager fan fiction

By Alaster Boneman

**Chapter 2 ****Fox and the Scorpion part 1**

**AN: Frist I wont to say thank you to may reviews Susanc and Celgress for being my first review's and your conversions with you they were great and impossible big thank you to Scifiromance not only for your review but putting my silly little fan fiction on your community Commander and the Borg you never know how much that means to Me. Last but not least a big thank you to my Bata for all your help. I was organelle going to have this chapter as one complete hole but been that I grew unsatisfied with that idea so I split it to 2 chapter I hope you don't mind and seven of nine is in the next chapter.**

AN: this story was made for none profit all Characters and universe belong to paramount

**Fox and the Scorpion part 1**

"**Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before." **

― **Mae West**

**Briefing room**

The senior staff filed into the briefing room one by one or in groups of two or three. The first two were of course Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay, next was Ensign Harry Kim and Lieutenant Tom Paris having left Lieutenant Andrews in charge of the bridge. Then prompt as always Lieutenant Tuvok came in alone with Kes, the Doctor and Lieutenant Torres and finally Neelix. They all took their usual seats expect for Kathryn Janeway and B'Elanna Torres who remained standing. A feeing of uneasy quickly silence all conversation.

"Ok" Tom said haven noticed to mood quickly and wonted to dispel it. "So I guess I'm going to have to be the one who's going to asks what's going on." Tom being the class clown thought it would broke the ice.

Kathryn more or less ignored his foolish question but it had got her talking so that was a good thing in the end. "As you all know we sent out several of probes 3 weeks ago to scout the area of space ahead of us" Janeway says keeping her voice level and controlled

"Most of those were lost to sup-space distortion" B'Elanna added more than a little pissed that they had lost so many.

"All expect one" Janeway said continuing she nods to B'Elanna who then taps a few keys to show the video that had started all this.

The Video started with unusual slightly grainy pictures of space due to just managing to avoid the fate of its fellow probes. Then they all saw what Captain Janeway, Chakotay and B'Elanna had seen at first, a huge Borg cube made it way mid screen. What happened next happed quickly, the Borg cube hit the probe with a green beam and then the video changed to show the house of horrors inside the cube. There was a male humanoid Borg drone of some unknown species and what little they could see of his body was coved by implants and armour. One of these had replaced his left eye with a large green glass orb which resembled the eye of a fly _it_ began scanning the probe with another sickly green light which came from the spiked claw replaced his right hand. It would not be out of place in an old horror movie then the screen fizzed out all to gather. B'Elanna who clicked a few more buttons and the screen changed to diagrams she took her place beside Tom who discreetly taking his hand under the table held hers and gave her some restoring squeezes. The captain started walking having everyone's attention on her again.

"We don't know how many vessels there are out there but their space is vast we are dealing with thousands of systems all _Borg_ we are no doubt heading into the heart of their space" Janeway said letting that sink in.

"You all know I want to go home just as much as anyone here could we could go around their space?" Harry Kim asked.

"We could" Janeway said "and we will keep that option open if we come to it. But I'm not going to turn this ship around if I can help it. _Their_ space is just too vast to be avoided all together and to try and go around we would be adding 50 years to our way home and besides that _they already know_ we are _here._" she paused for breath "but there might be a way through it." Janeway nods to B'Elanna.

"We did manage to find a narrow path completely free of Borg activity" said B'Elanna trying to still her own fear at bay.

"We have nicknamed it the North West passage" said Chakotay as he stands up to activate the screen. It showed a large area which looked like a huge flowing river Borg icons all around it but not one inside.

"Ok I'll bite….why are there no Borg there?" Tom asked his interest been peaked.

"We not entirely sure …it's not like the Borg to ignore such a huge area going through the heart of their space" Chakotay said.

"Well we did manage to detect some intense spatial distortions and gravity anomalies which seem to completely fill the passage but from the scans we managed to recover they shouldn't pose much of a threat to Voyager. So I don't see why there is no Borg in there" B'Elanna said clearly looking mystified.

Tom looked at the data and said "Looks like it's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride it maybe too bumpy for them!" Tom said trying to sound upbeat.

"Indeed it is most illogical all the Tactical information that the Federation has would suggest that Borg would not find it difficult to adapt to such distortions. I doubt the Borg would find it as you say Mr Paris, _Bumpy_" Tuvok said with only a raised eyebrow.

Wanting to change the subject before Tom tried to find of a comeback. Chakotay said "so Doctor has your studies of the Borg skeleton revealed anything?" Chakotay asked

"Yes Commander in the months since we found it Kes and I have been going through every bit of the Federation medical data base as well as studying the corpse. I believe I have achieved a greater understanding of how their assimilation technologies works and we may be able create a medical counter messes or reverse the _assimilation _process if we act in time" the EMH or Doctor as he preferred to be called said clearly looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"Do you really think we could undo the assimilation process Doctor?" Harry asked trying to rack his brain on all the Borg information he had every studied or heard of.

"It's possible" the Doctor said with confidence "after all the crew of the Enterprise crew was able to return Captain Picard to his human state after the battle of Wolf 395" he continued "as long as we are able to break the neuro-interlink interface. Of course the longer the Implants remain the more the body comes to rely on them. Therefore it is imperative that if we loss anyone we try to retrieve them before that time outer wise I will not be able remove them all." The Doctor said as he looked over around the table.

"How much time would we have if a crew member were to be assimilation by the Borg to revive them Doctor? Janeway asked with interest.

"Well that varies from person to person, species to species but with humans maybe a week. 6 days give or take before the body becomes too dependent" the Doctor said.

"What about someone who has been a drone for longer?" Tom asked to every one's surprise.

"A very good question Mr Paris" Tuvok said with as much interest in both what Tom and the EMH had to say on this new line of discussion.

"Tom what made you think of that?" B'Elanna asked clearly impressed. 'Wow definitely more than a pretty face, bad jokes and cute bum' she thought to herself.

"Well dear old Dad showed me some of the few _saved_ drone files from the Starfleet after the Battle of Wolf 359 and outers. He always said that I should be prepared for the worst" Tom said his young face suddenly looking very sad and much older than it was.

"You never told me that" Harry said looking at his friend in a new light.

"It's not something that I like to remember" was all Tom said before lapsing into silence once again.

Kes who had been silent up to this point said "I'm sorry" as she looked to Tom because she could fell his sadness but continued on. "I know everyone is going to think I'm naive but is there no way to reason with the Borg or even make peace with them, I mean that is what we do isn't it?" Kes said kindly

"Oh Kes you're not being naive"…..Your just trying to find the good in people even if it is not there" Neelix said trying to reassure his ex-girlfriend.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Kes but in all my time as a Starfleet office I can confidently say there is no threat quite like the Borg. They know nothing of fear or hope or any other emotions that govern almost every race. We know there has never been any successful diplomacy where the Borg were concerned so if we do come in contact with them then we must fight or we will be assimilated" Tuvok said seriously.

"I know that Tuvok…..just part of me hopes that any race can be reasoned with and a peaceful solution can be found" Kes said looking into her mentors older eyes with her own eyes reflecting her youth and hope.

The Doctor considered the debate and what Tom had asked which surprised him no degree. "Well we do know of drones who have been freed from the Collective" he said this looking to Commander Chakotay with an expression on his face as if asking for permission Chakotay gave a small nod so he continued, "All my psychological and physiological study about drone's who have been freed from the Collective influence have all done manly any one of four things are likely to happen." The doctor stopped for a moment "They have either been put into mental care hospitals for the rest of their lives, others have committed suicide rather than live with individuality or have they returned to the Collective" and the Doctor said this very quietly "or made their own." His face showed such sadness at the needless waste of lives. "There is at least to the best of my knowledge never been a full Borg drone have returned to a full Individuality." "If the neuro-interlinks are broken or disconnected I may be able to remove a large amount of their implants and even make one look human or whatever they were before _more or less_ but one thing I cannot undo is the Borg brain washing. The Doctor finished.

"Thank you for that Doctor" Janeway said "anyone else want to contribute to this debate? Janeway gives them stern look.

To this Tuvok said "I will start the Security teams on running Borg boarding drills and have already set up rotating modulation of all ship's phaser banks and torpedos. The hand held phasers will be set with their own rotating modulations but it probably won't take the Borg long too adapted to modifications. I also believe that it would be a prudent course of action to have every crew member learn the basics of hand to hand combat when dealing with Drones so I may require both holodeck's be made available for training purposes". Tuvok finished.

"Their yours Tuvok whenever you need them" Chakotay told him

"My team have nearly completed implementing our reinforced Security lock out system that we started after or last run in with the Viidian's. It is a honey comb system and in the event of been boarded each area of the ship can locked a sealed with level 10 force fields and double bulkheads within a few moments. Each key system can be shut off and locked to personal codes. Each vital area of the ship can and have all air and vented into space" B'Elanna said taking pride in her and her teams work.

"Neelix how are we for supplies because it not likely we will be able to stop any time soon" Janeway asked the Talaxian.

"Not to worry Captain I have taken the liberty of expanding Aeroponics to produce more long term food but as for our stores we have 6 months' worth" Neelix said. "The real problem is going to be able to keep the moral of the crew, many of them will be nervous about heading to Borg space. Not that we can blame them of course but nervous people tend to eat more. Luckily for us I know a few old Talaxian power saving trick or two that might help so squeezes a little bit more out of our Dilithium and quite a few even older soup recipes which will keep for days. But if the crew can't below of steam on the holodeck's then we may start getting problems" Neelix said with a glint in his yellow eyes.

"Thank you Neelix your help is always appreciated as for the holodeck I'm sure you and Tuvok can work something out" Janeway told him.

"Ensign how are things on your front?" Chakotay asked Harry.

"I have already have set the sensors to warn us of an opening from a trans warp conduit and given time we may even be able to track nearby active trans warp signatures. This might give us an early warning system to know if there are any active ones near Voyager." Harry said happy to contribute something at last.

"Good work we could use every edge we can get" Chakotay said beaming at the young ensign for his foresight.

"The Borg already know we are out here. We will try to avoid a direct conflict with the Borg but when that time comes I'm confident that each and every one in this crew will prove themselves. I'm Proud of each and every one of you." Janeway said with deep meaning and pride showing itself in her deep blue eyes.

"Well you all know your duty's dismissed" Chakotay ordered.

A chorus of 'yes Captain' followed as the senior crew as they left for their tasks.

**Voyager **

All over the ship the Crew worked as if their very lives depended on it because they did know whatever they are doing may very well save them from the living hell of a Borg drone. Some of the crew had even known someone who had been lost to the Borg. Working in such a busy environment meant tempers frayed easily and people who have been friends and crew members for three long hard years started snapping at each other. As soon an argument would start it was soon put on hold because of whatever caused them to snap at each other was foolish and didn't matter or compare to fighting the Borg. After a more than two weeks the stress on the ship was at an all-time high, many of the crew started to let their fear get to them and Voyager had become a powder keg of brewing problems. Every time someone felt like they exploding at a colleague or a friend they just remembered they were up against but this only added to the unrest that was in the air.

**Voyager Mess hall**

Neelix for his part tried to help as much as he could. As the official Moral Officer and all around Jack of all Trades his time was split into many tasks to try and find reasonable solutions to the crew problems, wether that was helping fix broken pieces of equipment and on occasion to provide a shoulder to cry on and of course his responsibilities as the head chef. He was being pulled in all directions at once but he was happy to do this as these were good people trying to do the best they could in a harsh galaxy. Helping the crew like this he had no time of late to visit is beloved goddaughter Naomi Wildman he considered this he left the mess hall. He was missing her something offal. Neelix had never had children of his own although he had always wanted them. Even as a child he always had children around him when he was growing up on Rinax happy and safe with his family. Then the war came and his family was gone in the blink of an eye. Rinax was turned in a wasteland. He reflected on this for a moment or two. His life had taken so many wild turns such as being a salvager when he had spent years wandering from place to place usually getting into trouble but that had all changed when he had met Kes for the first time. She was so young back then no more than a year old although a year old Ocampa was the equal of must race's adulthood because Ocampan's only live for nine years. She had shown him such love and care when no one else had. Even how when she had moved on with her life a large part of his heart still belonged to her and for all he knew it always would do so. When she had been kidnaped by that bruit Jabin and they had met the Voyager crew rescuers they had showed such kindness. He could do nothing but try to repay them as much as he could. As he saw them as a big family he was proud to be a part of no matter how hard things got. Seska's betrayal, the Kazon, the Viidian's and a hundred others all tried to take Voyager out and now his family faced their greatest threat the Borg. Even before he had meet Kes he knew who the Borg were from childhood boogieman stories. He had never really given the old stories much credence till he had heard from outer salvagers and traders that would tell tales about huge cube ships coming out of nowhere to take whole ships crews and even planet's populations away. Until he was on Voyager he had never really believed those stories but now he did. He could only think of one word to describe them and it was not a word he liked to use Evil. Neelix knew that there were a lot of bad things in the galaxy, a lot of bad people. Killing he could understand. Slavery he knew the reasoning behind. Racism, prejudice, hate, war all these things as much as he hated them he could understand them they were all based on the same principles. With the Borg he could not if you were taken by them it was by all accounts a fate worse than death. It wasn't just that their crimes were worse no their true irredeemable crime was they did not value life, they stole the most precious thing from you they took your identity. Neelix wasn't a philosopher or anyone with great intelligence but to him, to have your identity was the worse fate you could have. You became a puppet on a string, a cell in a body with no will of your own.

He shuddered at the thought as he closed up the Mess hall for the night he tried to pouch such thoughts out of his mid as he walked the nearly empty hall was to the Wildman's quarters so he read little Naomi an bed time story. According to her mother Samantha Wildman, Naomi had been having trouble sleeping and she had tried everything to get her daughter to have a full night sleep but nothing worked. Even though Naomi was only 3 soon to be four years old though due to her father's Ktarian genes she looked more like a four or five year old. She was very smart and advanced for her age even though she didn't fully understand the current crisis. She must have known on some level that something was very wrong on Voyager. Neelix felt that it was it was his duty to calm and distract Naomi and her mother so they could enjoy simple things in life like the joy of seeming your friends happy. Neelix put a smile on his face as he came up to the door of the Wildman's quarters and pressed the buzzer.

Samantha Wildman opened the door. "O thank God Neelix you're here" Sam said in relief.

"I'm sorry I'm late Sam I was late closing up the mess hall" Neelix said putting on an apologetic smile on his face as if had a done something wrong. Knowing how tried Samantha was from looking after her daughter and her working hours of late.

"O Neelix it's ok I know you've been busy with keeping the ship together" Sam said with a smile on her face their quarters were slightly bigger then his own two bedrooms, a bath room, and a living room. When the Captain had been told that Samantha was expecting she had authorized that she get larger quarters. This of course had made some of the other crew members envious in the early days of the Voyage but that had faded with time as more important things had come into in their lives. Samantha did concede than normal but she did have an active three year old to contend with.

"Why Sam I have no idea what you're talking about" Neelix gave her a great big smile as he entered the quarters proper.

"O come Neelix everyone knows this ship would be a mess whit you hear to help" Sam told him

"Ooo I don't know about that I just do what I can for my friends if that helps then, so be It, I'm happy either way" Neelix said trying to be convening he but Samantha Wildman was no one's fool as she gazed at him with a frown on her small round face.

"You know we couldn't have coped without you Neelix, I mean you just look how much you helped me when I was pregnant with Ruth" Sam said as tears started to fill up in her soft blue eyes. "When I lost her!" Samantha said the tears from the bad memories finally overwhelmed her.

"Shhh….shhh...shh it's all right Sam" Neelix said as he went to her a held her in his arms "shhh Sam it's going to be aright you'll see I promise we will get through this shhh" he coo's "let it out" Samantha tried not to dump her worry's on Neelix she really did try but she wasn't strong enough.

"I'm sorry Neelix I'm sorry" Sam says as she sniffs "I just can't stop thinking about what might happen to Naomi, it's like Ruth all over again. I can't stop thinking what might happen to her if….if…..if" Samantha stooped taking unable to speak the thought out loud but Neelix knew what she meant.

"Sam do you want to talk about it?" Neelix asked with kindness his own tears begging to flow now.

"I can't Neelix I just can't I lost her Neelix I lost my little girl and then like nothing happen I had her again from the other Voyager. There she was she was just like Ruth in every way and I knew that she was mine even though she wasn't but she _just felt_ right" she said trailing of "and now its happing all over again. I can't lose her Neelix I just can't. Greskrendtregk will never forgive me" Samantha said on the verge of hysteria now the lone weeks of stress had taken their toll on all the crew but most of them didn't have a child to wary about and none outer then Samantha had have children on Voyager.

"How you listen to me Samantha" Neelix said holding her still so he could look her in the eye "I know it hard to lose the one's you love, I lost my whole family when Rinax fell" Neelix said this putting a hand under her chin and making her see that this pain they both shared. "You have done nothing wrong and I believe thought I have never met your husband. I know he'll forgive you…you know why he will?" Neelix said and Sam just shook her head.

"Because there is nothing to forgive, you have a kind loving beautiful happy heath little girl who adores you" he said trailing off "You know there is an old Talaxian saying for times like this" Neelix said.

"What's that?" Sam sniffs her tears slowing down their cascading flow down her small face.

"When the path ahead of us is coved in shadows and the path behind us is it too far to see then we look around and see the sun and follow its path" Neelix said knowing full well he confused her with his old folk story as most of the crew tended to be when he used his Talaxian quotes or story's. "It means that no manner how bad things get or how lost we are there is always going to be the light because the shadows cannot be without the light" he said with conviction.

"Neelix I'm a little confused that doesn't really make sense, but I think I understand it" Sam said getting her composure back drying her tears on her sleeve.

"I know it's not the best one" Neelix said admitted as he started smiling "but it makes you feel better doesn't it?" Neelix asked.

"Yes…yes it dose" Sam said in surprised.

"Then it done its job" Neelix said proud of himself then he letting go of her and getting a glass of water for her and handed her a hankie.

"Thanks" Sam said taking both the drink and hankie from her friend. Taking a long sip of the water and drying her tears as the door to Namoi room open with either Neelix or Samantha noticing.

"Neeelikk!" they head the ever loveable squeal of little Namoi Wildman as she ran from her room and lurched herself at his leg holding it tightly as her little arms could. Her face full of joy as she looked up at him, her tiny forehead horns moved up in an arcing movement as the way they tended to do when she was exited. She was wearing her latest favourite blue and pink pyjamas which were covered with pictures of cute cartoonish animal faces, having recently grown out of the last set of cloths due to her latest growth spurt.

"Ooh who's this then? This can't be my Namoi your too big and grown up" Neelix said with amusement filling his voice.

To this Namoi only giggled. "It's me Neelix you're so silly". Namoi said seeming to buy fully into his tomfoolery. Giving Samantha time to wiped her face removing all traces of her tears.

"So has been good girl then hums?" Neelix asked.

Namoi nodded her head up in down making her long strawberry blond hair wave. "Yes Neelix I have," she said then motioned to be picked up.

To which Neelix complied grunting with the weight of his god daughter she wasn't exactly as _little_ as she had been and he wasn't as young as he once was. "So what have you been doing then hum?" Neelix asked.

"I learned how to grow plants with Kes and can count to a 6 hundred and memorised the star fleet oath" Namoi said proud then added quietly so her mum couldn't hear and with a slight smile "helping Mummy, she's been sad." Namoi said knowing.

"That amazing" Neelix said winking at her "and I'm hear how and we can make your Mummy feel better together hum." Neelix told her cheerfully but Namoi started to lost interest with the conversion and started playing with his whiskers.

Neelix and Sam played with Namoi in till both were too tied to play anymore and mother and child fell asleep on Sam's bed. Neelix smiled took a sheet and coved them both up and left their quarters saying quietly as he left "good night sleep tight and dream of better places. Computer lights off please" Neelix left there room and headed down the hallway to the turbo lifts but before he could enter he saw crewmen Jane Farwell and Ensign Chan Denim arguing over something. He smiled to himself 'a moral office's job is never done' as we walked over to talk some sense into the two old friends.

**Sick bay**

Over the last few days both the Doctor and Kes continued their work on the remains of the Borg skeleton which had been taken out of Holding and arranged on a table. There wasn't much left and what was left was badly degraded from exposure. To call it a skeleton was a bit of an overstatement. All that was left intact was a rusted and pitted black, silver synthetic arm whit the assimilation tubes fully erect. As well as a few other implants that had been salvaged a bio-transponder, a cortical node implant and a few scraps of exo-plate-amour over the rotted chest bones of the Borg body. On the computer screens all over the sick bay medical information scrolled. Some were autopsies reports others were psychological studies and theories about the Borg collective mentality while others were assimilation records.

The Doctor picked up the artistically arm and said to Kes "these injection tubules are the first step in the assimilation process. They penetrate the body or technology and deliver the nano probes. From there assimilation is nearly instantaneous" The Doctor said then notice Kes had a dreamlike expression on her face. Kes looked down on the remains what had once been living person and could help but shutter as a cold emotion that was not entirely her own as a feeling of dread entered her unguarded mind. She merely add tributed this to her lack of sleep and her grim job of helping the Doctor study the corpus. No matter how many times she had work with this corpus she could not help but think about who this person might have been in life? Now thought who ever this person had been was now a rotted and broken corpus on a table. Usually these thoughts made her feel a great swell of pity but know she didn't feel pity or remorse she felt something darker hammer into her skull but could not identify these strange thoughts but she felt that they were escalating in both number and intensity recently. She had been had the increasing feelings of dread and hopelessness that had snuck into her mind recently but these were more intense.

"Kes did you hear me?" The Doctor having finale noticed the strange expression on Kes's face. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"Sorry Doctor I have a headache, I have been having some trouble sleeping lately" Kes said her tiredness showing for the first time as the dark emotions increased their hold on her mind tenfold. She could not stop a feeling of revulsion and anger kame over her.

The Doctor walked over to Kes with tricorder in hand and started scanned her. As he did so an expression of puzzlement crossed his face as he tried to make sense of the readings. "Hum have you been felling unwell lately?" the Doctor asked concern showing on his face.

"A little I have been having some strange feeling lately but I'm fine Doctor." Kes said "it's parsing now" she lied, if anything it was getting worse but she wanted to change the subject before he took her duty. The Doctor was a good friend but sometimes he missed the big picture and would get distracted our obsessed with the little details. It reminded her of one of Tom's 20 century sayings 'can't see the wood though the trees'. "You were saying about the first stage of assimilation" Kes said changing the subject.

"Well yes the first step the victim is injected with millions of nano-probes and from there assimilation is almost instances with the nano-probes attacking the cells of the body and reprogramed them like a virus to carry the infection thought the body. _Effective_ little devils they get the cells of their victim's own cells to do all the heavily lifting while they colonise and start grow implants to produce more nano-probes." The Doctor said both impressed and disgusted by the insidious design.

"Could we maybe make some kind of armour or shields to prevent the injection tubules from pressing the skin?" Kes asked.

"I'm afraid not Kes, these _tubules_ can perch any know alloy or shielding. So that tell me that the fight for the body must not be waged outside it but rather inside" The Doctor told her.

"How do you mean doctor?" Kes asked.

"We should be able to increase the immune systems response to recognise the nano-probes as a theatre it might not be enough to stop the assimilation process all together but it might slow it down. Enough so we would be able to flush the victim's systems and give them a chance of been saved" The Doctor said "Could you bring be sample 41 beta please?" he asked.

"Yes Doctor" Kes said as she walked over to a large jar of cellar test martials that they had been using as an analogue for the human body. She couldn't help but glance at the Borg body again. Then the she felt and over whelming sense of hatred and rage that had been growing inside her exploded filling her mind. Suddenly Kes wasn't on Voyager any more she was in a dark ruined corridors filled with sickly green lights she seem to be moving through them. She tried to control her movement but her body would not respond her actions like that of a dream or a memory. Then she saw a grub of Borg drones charging towards her and felt a deep uncontrollable rage fill her to the brink. She had to punch punish them even as they started firing green lasers built into their bodies but these weapon had no effect.

Before Kes could realise what was happen she descend on the drones like a wolf on sheep she ripped them apart there body falling in bloody waves arms torn from socket legs broken blood splatted every surface. The Borg tyred to fight back with blades and saws and drills but all there attracts failed to injury her. As the memory battle played out more Borg drones joined the Frey but they soon met the same fate as there fellows. Ripped apart or sprayed with acid that eat away at both skin and metal with ease leveeing nothing expect bloody goo behind. Once all the drones in the area were dealt with she start to build some kind of horrible monument with their broken body's serving as building blocks and to Kes's horror some of the drones were still alive. Then she went out of that corridor and repeat the process at least ten times each one more horrible then the last once that was complete she walked out of the dim hallways to a hole in the Borg vessel. Kes could now see Voyager burring slowly in space the bodies of her friends drifting in the empty vacuum.

Then she hear a voice not her voice or like any voice she had very heard before it was fuelled by hate, rage and fury. **"The week will perish. This whole realm will suffer. Surrender and die"** the voice boomed and as quickly as the vision had started the vision ended. She felt both drained and full changed at the same time as if a whole new universe was just oped up to her and her whole bold felt like going thought deep shocked therapy.

"Kes! KES! Are you all right?" Doctor said as his face slowly coming into focus as she opened her eyes

"Arrg" she grounded "I'm all right Doctor" Kes said this but she did not believe it she had bring her hand up to wipe the blood that was stemming from her nose.

"I don't think so Kes you just blacked out. You have been unresponsive for ten minutes" the Doctor said as he started to scan her with a tricorder but she waved him away.

"I'm all right really Doctor" Kes told him managing to stem the flow of blood from her nose and get up of the bio bed. "But I don't think we should be warred about the Borg" she said.

"What are you talking about?" the Doctor asked looking puzzled.

"Doctor something just came into my mind and played with it like it was a nothing and showed _things_… I couldn't stop it was like been held under water and my head was been cursed by a vice" Kes said trying to hold back the flood of tears of pain.

"What did you see?" the Doctor asked concerned.

"Doom, death….EVIL" Kes said as she moved away from the hovering Doctor.

"And where do you think you're going KES!" The doctor said grabbing his mobile emitter and trying to stand in her way.

"I have got to worn the Captain. Doctor Voyager is in great danger" Kes said not to be turn off by the Doctors actions.

"Kes you jest blacked out for 10 minutes and were attacked by some alien mind we have known idea what they may have done to you! Whoever they are?" the Doctor said trying in vain to stop her form leavening sickbay.

"Doctor I understand your worry but this is important" Kes said putting on her I MEAN BUINESS face on.

The Doctor gave a long suffering shy "One day I'm going to have a patient that will lesson to me" he said wistfully "I'll come with you" the Doctor offed kindly.

"No Doctor you have work here to complete and I'll only get in your way" Kes said with conviction.

"Fine but don't come crying to me when you head explodes" the Doctor said with hurt sarcastic and with that Kes left the sickbay behind cleaning the last of the blood from her face and asked the computer were the captain was.

**The bridge**

The Bridge was a hive of active with crew members going this way and that competing one task and then handing to the next one this had been the routine for the last few weeks you could taste stress in the air and the last thing they needed Kes knew were prophecies of death and doom.

Kes walk out of the turbo left to see the definition of ordered chaos she could see the exhausted faces of the crew especial Captain Janeway and perhaps to lesser extent Commander Chakotay who wore his usually frown of concern. Commander Chakotay she thought to herself was a very good and honourable man despite the tragedies of his that she knew he rarely talked. He was a man who also held a lot of himself back he was almost Vulcan in his control he was very hard to read but if you scathed the surfers there was a deep and unmatchable reserve of strength to his character. Captain Janeway on the outer had was almost too easy to read the stress of the last few weeks coming of her in waves as she wound herself into a ruck of a woman. Thought Kes would never speak openly of such things.

"Kes what are you doing up hear? Is there some wrong?" Janeway asked final seen Kes standing in the entrance of the bridge.

"Sorry to disturb you captain but I just had a vision" Kes said shaking herself of her introspection.

"Kes I was under the impression that you had stopped trying to exploring your visions after that Crono poisoning that sent _you back thought your own time stream_?" Chakotay question as he remembered that event very well indeed. He like Kathryn hated time travel as a rule and the thought the both he and the Kathryn would die in some unspecified way and time in a reality or time line that he was deterred not to fallow and such Kes had given them some information that she was able to gleam from her trip from the end of her lift to the very start back to the present.

"That's correct Commander" Kes told him "but this wasn't my vision it was something else's" Kes said.

"It would be unlike that the Borg would community such a manner" Tuvok stated.

"Your Tuvok right I don't think it was the Borg I believe there maybe something else out there I'll rather not decease it hear if possible" Kes said looking around at the bridge crew as if to explain her meaning.

"Right of cause" Janeway said "come into my ready room Kes you to Tuvok." "Commander you have the bridge". Janeway said as the three left

"Right Captain" Chakotay said then looked around to the rest of the crew "well what are all you waiting for?" Chakotay said seriously told and the crew who had stopped their work to listen in on the conversation but been told of by Chakotay they quickly got back to work.

**Captain ready room**

"Aright Kes what's all this about" Janeway asked nervily knowing from experience that Kes is visions and felling were to be avoided whenever possible. Firstly there was the temporal prime directive to consider. She and messed with that once to many times for her likening. Secord was Kes visions and feelings were all well and go in theory but not to be relied upon because of their inexact nature and thereby she distrusted the visions she was a woman of science and because Kes's visions were by their nature imprecise and often misleading as much as they could be helpful at times.

"Captain for the last few weeks I have been experiencing odd and disturbing dreams and been have quite bad headaches but I thought this was due to my work in the sickbay helping the Doctor whit his study of the Borg corpse. While in the sickbay I had a vision but it was not like the ones I have had before. This vision was more real in a way and unlike my own experiences this was more like an attack or like I was seeing though _something_ else eyes." Kes said glad that she had getting it of her chest the wait of what she had seen had disturbed her greatly.

"Could you describe the vision for us Kes?" Tuvok asked.

"Of course" Kes said and begin telling them both about been on what seemed to be a Borg ship under attack and about the violence and cruelty that had been betrayed a upon the Drones and finest telling about the vision of Voyager destroyed and flouting lifeless in space and the voice that had spoken to her.

The last thing I heard before the vision ended was _"The week will perish, our realm will a suffer, we destroy those who threating our purity. Surrender and die. _The last thing I felt was a burning hate unlike another I have ever felt before." Kes said.

"Tuvok your thoughts?" Janeway asked her old friend.

"Captain I believe it would be prudent to remain at high alert until we can assess the level of this possible new threat may or may not presented us. Kes and I should perform some psionic tests to ascertain the visions true meaning once Kes is rested enough to proceed" Tuvok said in his calm tones.

"Actual Tuvok I don't feel like resting at the moment" Kes said fleeing better than she had in days hell weeks.

"That is understandable but you have been under a lot of stress of late and you must have rest if you are to protected your mind form these visions" Tuvok said letting the tinniest amount of concern for his portage show though his mask of unfeeling.

"You don't understand Lieutenant I don't feel tried _not even a little_." Kes said this whit a look of revulsion on her face.

At this both the Captain Kathryn Janeway and Tuvok looked at each other concern showing on the Captains face but as perusal Tuvok portrayed no emotion.

"Kes maybe you should go see the Doctor and have him run a scan" Janeway told the younger woman trying not to make it an order.

"Captain I feel fine know really in fact I felt never better" Kes said acidly feeing like she had wake up from a deep sleep but without the effects of morning making her still fell tried again. Before Janeway or Tuvok could respond to that the com beeped.

"Captain you're needed on the bridge" the voice of Commander Chakotay came though the com.

"On my way" said Janeway then see look at Kes "Kes go see the Doctor and have him run an scan then get some sleep that an order" Captain Janeway said making shore Kes understood

"Yes captain" Kes said looking rather defeated.

"You go whit her Tuvok" Janeway told him.

"Of course Captain" Tuvok said levelly.

They left her ready room together Tuvok and Kes moving toward the turbo lift

"Captain we have just picked up _2 Borg ships_ heading our way!" Harry Kim said as the red alert started to ring thought the ship.

"KES SICKBAY NOW! TUVOK stay hear." Janeway order as the crew moved to battle positions. Kathryn moved to set in her chair beside a deeply worried Chakotay.

"How far away are they Ensign?" Chakotay asked to Harry quickly.

"_Six thousand light years and closing fast and its 5 now sir!"_ Harry said stock and fear playing across his face.

"5!" Janeway stated trying to sound cool under presser but could stop her voice shaking.

"7 Captain no 8…..11…14…..15 CAPTAIN WE HAVE 15 BORG CUBES ON AN INTERCEPED COUSE!" Harry said panic colouring his tones.

"This Captain Janeway to all crew we have BORG inbound to battles stations this is not a drill" Janeway ordered said keeping her voice level to disguise the fear she felt.

"CAPTAIN THEY JUST CAME OUT OF WARP and they are creating interference and stoping us creating a stable warp field" Tom said as he frantic typed on the console to keep them flying as well as avoid the Borg cubes.

"On screen" Janeway yelled.

The screen showed the massive formes of Borg cubes flying in formation closing in faster the fast on Voyager. The hole ship shock whit the forced violence of the vibrations as the ships closed in. The whole crew readied them self's for the fight of a life time but no fight came.

Chakotay braced himself for the inevitable words _'Resistance is futile'_ but they never came. Instead the Borg carpet going past them a high warp "what the hell was going on" he said as the ships past voyager but just as hope fired in his soul. Then one ship stopped moving and let out a green beam that went from deck to deck person to person covering everything in a green light.

"Captain there scanning us" Harry said his voice trance.

"Think happy thoughts" Janeway ordered her hands tensing as the green light coved the room. The green light disappeared and the Borg cube lift to join it fellows as they made all speed to were ever they were going.

"Well that was unexpected" Tom stated plainly not wishing to jinxes the crew.

"Harry I want you track those ships I want to know where they're going we are not out of the woods yet" Chakotay said his face equally parts relief and puzzlement.

"Yes Sir" Harry said letting his fear dissipate.

"Well maybe we have a garden angel after all hum Captain" Chakotay said trying to cut the tension that had filled to room in the few moments of their encounter with the Borg fleet.

"Maybe or maybe Borg have bigger fish to _fry_!" Janeway said considering the possibility that what Kes said could be true or at least partly.

"Captain what do you mean was there some in Kes vision that might explain this?" Chakotay said looking his Captain in the eye noting the confusion and worry that aged on her face.

"I don't know Chakotay but for now stand down red alert" Janeway order.

"Yes Captain" Chakotay said and the red alert stoped going off and they went back to Tactical alert.

"Tom keeps heading for the north west passage" Captain Janeway said

"Yes ma'am" Tom said.

"I'll be in my ready room Commander you have the Bridge" Janeway told him.

"Right Captain" so everyone could hear. "Are you shore you don't wont to grab a few hours of sleep maybe a bight to eat?" Chakotay asked her quietly "I or Tuvok could take over so you could catch a few hours' sleep" Chakotay offed even know he and Tuvok were also reaching the end of their endurance as much as she was.

"I'm fine Chakotay thank you" Janeway said with a tied smile and walked off to her ready room and study the Borg as she had done for the last few weeks.

**Captain's ready room**

A full day after their brief but instance encounter with the Borg fleet had set the Voyager crew on edge many believed that they must of some kind of guard angel watching over them. Even as the crew relaxed slightly they were still on high alert probably no one more than Kathryn Janeway who soon after the encounter with the Borg fleet had retreated in to her ready room like a bear trying to hid from a hunting party. For Chakotay he was starting to feel very much like one of the hapless hunters trying in vain to get Kathryn to stop obsessing over data that she had read and re read more time than he could remember. Battling a sad shy knowing that he would not stop or change her obsessive nature Chakotay pressed the door control that would let him enter the Captain ready room with pads in hand.

"We have just completed the latest senor sweep so far so good we clear for now" Chakotay told her coolly.

"And that fleet?" Janeway asked not looking up from her computer.

"It seems we have lost track of them for the moment. We are starting to get more interface from the north west passage that we didn't anticipate but Harry and B'Elanna are working on it" Chakotay told her trying and failing not to be conceded whit the sudden disappearance of the Borg fleet.

"Well that's good to know" Janeway said as if she hadn't even heard him.

"You know that we have studied all the information we have on the Borg and buy my calculations you haven't slept in the last few days and neither of us have eating since yesterday. Care to join me?" Chakotay asked trying to get her out of the ready room and out of the slump she had been in for the last day or so.

"Thank you Chakotay but I'm not hungry" Janeway said stubbornly.

"I see so what are you reading anyway?" Chakotay asked trying to make her open up to him.

"Arrre" Janeway shied "I have been going over every bit of data we have on the Borg and the personnel log entrees of all the Starfleet captains that have had interactions whit the Borg trying to gain any insight into their behaviour" Janeway told him evenly.

"And?" Chakotay asked.

"I have gone over every encounter with the Borg from when Q put the enterprise into the path of that first Borg cube to the battle of wolf 395. Anything to give me an insight into the Borg." Janeway stated grumpily.

"Found anything new?" Chakotay asked knowing she hadn't but willing to humour her.

"In the words of Captain Jean‑Luc Picard. In their collative state the Borg are completely without mercy, pity or remorse such things are beneath them and are driven by one will alone the will to conquer they are beyond forgiveness" her voice sounding almost like the great Captain of the enterprise then she spoke again "then there is Captain Amasov of the endeavour. It is my opinion that the Borg are a close to pure evil as we have ever in counted" Janeway said sound just like Amasov which Chakotay could only give a slight smirk and a small chuckle at these impressions.

"What so funny?" Janeway asked looking up from the computer for the first time.

"Nothing" Chakotay lied and try to hold back his snickering's.

"No tell me" Janeway ordered.

"You gust sounded like Amasov then you were using his infection" Chakotay told her keeping his face strait.

"I was not!" Janeway cried out in Denial.

"You were and before that you were doing a pretty good Picard" Chakotay told her a small chuckle broke through to the surfers.

"Chakotay! She exclaimed "You can't be serious" Janeway said embarrass.

"O I am I was half expiation you to say _make it so number 1_ Chakotay said in a woeful impression of Captain Picard then started laughing outright.

"O don't you start with that I'm still the Captain hear and I can send you to the brig!" Janeway almost squalled.

"Doing that won't make it and less funny or true" Chakotay said give her his best smile glad that he had got her out of her slump.

"So I lose again" Janeway shied in defeat.

"It not like that Kathryn there, isn't any same in impersonating the greats. Ensign Tara douse a pity good Janeway" Chakotay told her have seen a smile grow across her face.

"Remember me to have a talk with Ensign Tara when this is over" Janeway said trying to stop herself from chuckling out loud.

Wonting to change the subject "So what really bothering you I know that fleet was a close call but we have been in Borg space for 6 weeks now and we are only a few days away from the north west passage" Chakotay stated.

"It what Kes told me about her vision and then that fleet?" Janeway said in agitation "That tells me something is up" janeway said.

"What was her vision?" Chakotay asked 'that fleet was acting a little strange well strange for the Borg' he thought though he didn't really now.

"She said that she saw Borg beaning killed by the hundreds and Voyager been destroyed" Janeway told him.

"We have always treated Kes visions with a grain of salt in the past. Even if Borg are been killed then that has nothing to do whit us right?" Chakotay asked.

"True but I'm still worried Chakotay what if her vision is trying to tell us something what if we under threat from something else?" Janeway asked "something worse?" she stated.

"Well isn't that a good thing? Enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that?" Chakotay asked not likening were Kathryn mind was taking her.

"Maybe but what or who could threaten the Borg. They would have just as powerful if not more so and as we both know all too well power corrupts" Janeway stated trailing of.

"Maybe Captain but I don't see how the Borg been under threat or not from an outer faction is any of our concern" Chakotay stated truthfully

"Chakotay _15 Borg ships_ just went past us and didn't even bother to say a word. Doesn't that tell you anything? " Janeway asked. "Don't get me wrong I have no doubt that this ship and crew could outwit 1 or 2 Borg ships maybe 3 at the most, but 15 by all rights we should be drones now!" Janeway said as her mind went jumping into its darkest imaginations.

"Kathryn you letting your fear get the best of you." He told her sternly "All I can say or do is being here at your side as will this crew" Chakotay told her whit conviction griping her shoulder.

"Thank you Chakotay that means a lot. I just can't stop myself from wounding is it all worth it. The Caretaker, the kazon or the Viidian's and now the Borg and some unknown other faction we have no clue about. When do I say enough is enough we could of settled on any number of M class planets but here we are going into the heart of darkness and…I'm afraid there may be no way out this time" Janeway said with resonation as she got from her chair to look out into the black void of space.

"Captain there's a saying my farther told be after my mother died I never forgot it" Chakotay said reluctant "_Chakotay it is not for us to know where the river will flow it is all we can do to flow with it as a part and hope we find our self's on better shores_" he said reluctantly he didn't like talking about his mother's death or his father's the gilt from failing his people and family still burned in him like if all that loss only happened yesterday instead of life time's ago.

"A wise man your father. I wish I could have known him" Janeway said with Sympathy turning away from the window to face him.

"Sometimes I feel I would do _anything_ to see them both one last time to say the things I never got to say when they were whit me but then I remember" Chakotay said trailed of as a look of acceptance and sad memory's crossed his face.

"Remember what Chakotay?" Janeway asked softy.

"That they will always with me both in my heart and gilding me down the river. We all flow down that river in time Kathryn you, me our friends, family's our enemy's everyone we can't escape it one day we all flow down the riven when it's our time. My people believe…..I believe death isn't something to fear. It's unknown but it is all so a certainty and that is something to cherish" Chakotay told her.

"I wish I had your faith Chakotay I really do but if it's all hopeless then what stops you from giving up?" Janeway asked wounding if he really saw the universe in that light

"I never said it was hopeless but hope copes in many forms" Chakotay stated.

"O how's that?" Janeway asked.

"Do you know the Greek Legend of Pandora's box?" Chakotay asked.

"Well of course a Greek girl is given a box from the gods and told never to open it." Janeway said wounding what this had to do with anything. "Until one day her curiosity got the better of her and let the seven deadly sins out into the world" Janeway stated.

"Yes that about the short story but what about the rest?" Chakotay asked.

"What rest?" Janeway asked she wasn't as familiar with Greek Legends as she once was when she studied some of them in school they just never appealed to her but she knew Chakotay's love for anthropology would mean he would know more than her which she hated because she hated to loss.

"Yes there is Kathryn after Pandora could see what she has done and before any more can come out of the box she closes the box but the it wasn't a sin she kept in the box it was hope she kept that inside" Chakotay told her.

"Yes well I know that much" Janeway blushed as she lied she had forgotten about that part.

"You misunderstand stand me Kathryn those seven deadly sins will fade in time but there is one thing we will always need" Chakotay walk up to her and looked her in the eye "Hope because that will always be whit us" Chakotay said hoping he wasn't sounding to cheesy.

'Well that is one way of looking at things' she thought looking up to her best friend and commander. "Well I suppose it's how we got this far" Janeway admitted.

"It's played its part but how we really got this far is buy relying on each outer all I can say is that you're not alone hear Kathryn I'll be here by your side every step of the way" Chakotay said know he had convinced her and himself that their course was the right one.

"Captain, Commander your needed on the bridge" LTCOM Tuvok voice came though the com.

"Let's hope it good news" Janeway said with a smirk. They both left the ready room

"Report Lieutenant" Chakotay ordered Tuvok.

"Sir Ensign Kim has just managed to brake though the interference the ships seniors have been readying and has just about to re-establish visible contact whit the Borg fleet that past us" Tuvok answer the red alert already flushing

"This is Captain Janeway to all prepare for battle stations" Janeway said pressing her com badge and the whole ship darkened and the crew once again readied for the fight to come.

"Should they be hundreds of light years away buy know?" Chakotay asked.

"On screen as soon as possible Harry!" Janeway ordered.

The bridge view screen flicked to life showing the aftermath of what must have been a giant battle were the Borg were clearly the losers. Their huge cucks were noting more now then broken remints flouted in and out of vision and around those broken hulls the void was filed with the broken bodies of countless drones. It sickened the crew to see that not all the drones were in on peace's their body broken into bits trailing frozen blood and other bloody fluids around them.

"What the hell happen to them?" Tom asked looking more than a little green in the gills.

"There were 15 ships in that fleet you can't tell me this is all that's left?" Janeway half asked half stated.

"No captain there defend more than 15 vessels hear from what I'm reading there was around 30 ships hear at one stage but know" Harry said trailing off still looking shell shocked at the ruins before them.

"Are there any saviours?" Chakotay asked concerned.

"Yes Commander but we are having difficulty getting conformed locks on them" Tuvok said "I'm also detecting 2 weapon signatures one is Borg the outer of unknown origin" Tuvok told them.

"Wait what that" Janeway asked pointing what looked like a long orange and brown growth on one of the larger chucks of Borg dearies "Tom magnified the screen" she order.

"Yes mama" Tom said as he typed in the needed data the screen focused on the growth it was long about 6 shuttles in length and 3 in wreath it was slightly bluish at the front milled and end the front had three long prongs coming from it and it ended in three tail thins and beside the orange and brown colours they could also see veins of silver working up and down the body which seemed to be pulsing and moving with waves of life.

"What the hell is that thing?" Chakotay asked.

"I'm scanning it sir it appears to be organic but beyond that the scanners can't make hands or tails" Harry said.

"Prepares a bio weapon of some kind or a space faring organism" Tuvok suggested.

"Harry are you reading an atmosphere on that clunk of cube"? Janeway asked Harry.

"Yes Captain it seems that they have stable gravity and atmosphere we may even be able to beam though it but not near that thing is seems to be emitting some kind of interface" Harry stated nervously.

"Good work Harry." Janeway told him "Chakotay take an away team over there I want to know what the hell that thing is and bring back any useful Borg data you find" Janeway ordered.

"Yes Captain, Harry, Tuvok you're with me" Chakotay said looking back at the captain then he pressed his com "Lieutenant Gregory Andrews, Ensign Fredrick Murphy, Crewman Jewry Patter meet me at transport 1". Chakotay ordered.

Chakotay, Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim left the bridge together and made their way through the crew in the hull ways moving quickly to were ever they had been sent made their way to the armoury to get weapons needed as well as emergency medic kits all were enquired the Doctors new immune system additive which to the doctor had said would slow down the assimilation process they met Lieutenant Gregory Andrews, Ensign Fredrick Murphy who was a tall Canadian man whit light brown hair large grey eyes a large chin and wore the gold of Security team and thou not the smartest guy in Starfleet was one you always wanted to have your back. His crooked nose and outer battle scars were evidence of this. The wounds had never healed right ever since he had deafened Tal Celes from been assaulted by a very angry Nour'val. The Nour'val were large Insecticide race which at the time looked like really big cockroaches standing just over 5 feet tall the crew had briefly had shore leave on one of their space stations back in year 1. The wounds had never healed right because apparently Nour'val naturally made a venom from there exoskeleton which interfered with the normal Starfleet medic tools ability to heal.

Then their Crewman Jewry Patter who was a pretty but shy, short Indian woman who wore the blue of science officer who work often worked alongside Kes in Aeroponics. She had long wavy black hair which usually was usually hung lossy over her small frame but now was tied in a ponytail. She had light brown eyes and open face that did not display a trace of losing most of her family in a Cardassian attack and been brutalised in one of their war camps for mouths Intel fate had pushed her to become one of his Maquis crew. She had also been the Valjean closed thing to a medic but she hated medicine with a passion as having been made something of assistant to the Cardassian medical officer to treat the very people the held her captive.

"Commander" Gregory Andrews greeted looking concerned.

"Ok I'm guessing you three wont to know what you're doing here." Chakotay asked

"Yes sir" Ensign Fredrick Murphy said almost eager to see some action.

"Well we are going to transporting over to one of the cucks of Borg cube which seems to have some short of organic growth or ship latched onto it. We are also going to go try and get as much data as possible from the Borg data banks" Chakotay told them.

"Sir have sensors detected any active Borg drones on the remains of the vessel?" Jewry Patter asked.

"Yes but the growth seems to coursing some interface whit the senores so we don't know how many drones are still alive." Chakotay stated looking each one in the eye hoping to gage their moods as they absorbed this information.

"We unstained the risks Sir but if it's all the same to you. I coming whit you" Gregory Andrews stated.

"Me to Sir I an't afraid of no drones….been inching for some action" Fredrick Murphy said this near glee in his voice.

"I'm shore the Doc can give you something for that" Patter said teasing Monroy "like you even need to ask Commander I'm with you all the way Sir" Jewry Patter told him.

"That's good to know we won't pick a fight if we don't need to this is a resonances mission first" Chakotay said looking at the easily exited Murphy as he said this.

"Ok" Chakotay said then nodding to crewman Chell who at the transporter controls and Lieutenant Gregory Andrews, Ensign Fredrick Murphy, crewman Jewry Patter step to join him, Harry Kim and Lieutenant Tuvok and Commander Chakotay on the transporter platform.

"Ok Chell beam us over, and keep a tight lock on us" Chakotay order

"Yes Commander" Chell said nervously.

**The Borg derelict **

Chakotay and his away team beam over into the ruined cube. The Buzzes of the transported fading the away team already had there phaser rifles up and ready for an attack. Their eyes scanning the gloomy insides of the ruined cube but they soon wish they hadn't. Inside the cube like something out of a horror and not something any of them ever forget. It was dark almost pitch back then only lights were those created by flicking sickly green been cast buy the broken Borg technology and small fires. The atmosphere was hot and humid not unlike an overworked factory an oppressive heat and the air was stale and racked of death. The true horror of this place was the fact the floor was covered in dead drones. Those on the away team were not unfamiliar with death many of them fought and survived many a battles both hear in the delta quadrant but back home. This place thought racked of burnet flesh and sourced metal and other scents that no one wanted to identify it was like walking into the gates of hell.

"All right Gregory you take Murphy and Jewry you go that way" Chakotay ordered pointing down one dark hallway "keep an open com at all times but remember don't act treating to any drones you come arouse and they won't attack you I think they will have better things on their mines. Document and report if you find any information you find. If you get lost or turned around Ronda-view back hear or get Chell to beam you back. Don't for the love of god don't go wounding of and I want you three to watch each outers backs and com us every 10 minutes Andrews" Chakotay ordered the outer team.

"Yes sir" the three said in unison as the moved off into the darkness of the cube.

"Ok let's check out whatever the hell that growth thing is and get some Borg info I won't out of here as soon as possible" Chakotay told to Harry and Tuvok.

Chakotay, Tuvok and Harry moved off into the one of the outer dark hallway heading in the direction of the growth and hopeful answers. Their moved were as fast as possible though the crammed body filled hall as they could. They hadn't seen many drones liven drones yet but they had seen plenty of dead not all of the body they found drones were in one piece many of them were missing body parts or were so damaged their bodes looked like they had been ripped apart some were even still twitching. They move deeper into the cube they finally found some living drones moving over the dead ones like crows or other carrion eaters removing the bodies of the dead from the hall or removing pieces of cyber. The drones were using those pieces to repair the walls or other active drones. To Chakotay's horror one drone's been salvaged was still very much alive but rammed into a nearby wall buy a mettle beam that had fallen from and overhead walk way to run though it left arm the other drones to his discussed started ripping its legs, arms and outer implants from its body. Harry and Chakotay had stope themselves from been sick and even Tuvok looked disturbed by the drones actions.

The horrors they faced didn't end there as the away team move past the savaging drones into a large room which were filled with verging sizes of large glass campers Chakotay knew what these campers were for. The Starfleet data base had described simular chambers on some of the racked of cubes in the alpha quadrant. These were manufacturing chambers were none adults who were assimilated were in tombed inside to grown into full drones in half the time it would normally take their victims to reach adult hood. Most were empty which he thanked the spirits for but one was not. In one chamber there was a body if what looked like a boy of around 13 was standing hooked up to all manner of dead machines and tools. Chakotay and the outers approached the chamber they could see of the boy's body was submerged in a vile green goo was the boy look almost human expert he had three eyes one on the middle of his face and long elf ears like Kes's. The rest of him was coved in malformed Borg implants which one of which was had replayed his left eye whit a metal patch with prongs coming out of it.

"Is there anything we can do for _him_ Harry?" Chakotay asked at this Harry moved over to a nearby console and studied it for a few moments.

"Commander need I remind you that rescuing Drones was not one the mission objectives" Tuvok said cold as ever then added more gently "I know you wish to help this boy as do I but it is too late for him. Logical the Borg would have some form of Security system on installed their manufacturing chambers and relacing the boy would alert the active drones on this vessel to our presence" Tuvok finished.

"Harry?" Chakotay asked given the Vulcan and stun look.

"Sorry Sir but Lieutenant Tuvok is right from what I can see getting him out of this thing. We are already too late he is already dead according to this" Harry said pointing to the console "his hearts stop betting at 06:32am" Harry said all the colour having darning from his face.

Chakotay nodded to this saying under his breath 'look after this one sprits.' he prayed and really hoped that someone was hearing him. "Ok I seen enough hear let's get to that growth and that info" Chakotay said.

The away team moved away from the manufacturing chambers and were getting every close to the growth both teams had been on the ruined vessel for around 3 hours when the away team lead by Lieutenant Andrews called in.

"Commander" Andrews voice came thought the com which crackled with static interference.

"What is it Andrews? Found anything?" Chakotay asked.

"Sir we come up with some overhear but it much must of the data nods a frayed sir and Jewry Patter burned with some steam coming from some kind up power core thing" Andrews told.

"Is she aright Lieutenant?" Chakotay asked worried.

"I'm fine sir just a flash wound" Jewry Patter said even thought they could all hear her pain.

"How bad is it really Gregory?" Chakotay asked

"Second degree burns sir I'm taking my team back to the transport sight. Sir we did see some odd looking drones over here sir" Andrews told him.

"Odd how it what way can you describe them Gregory?" Chakotay asked.

"Shore they were a lot bigger than most of the other drones or what's left of them we have seen the look like they could built to take on a hover tank one on one Commander" Andrews told him.

"Right understood get your team back to Voyager" Chakotay said.

"Well do sir and I think I might be having a stiff drink sir later" Andrews admitted.

"I know what you mean Chakotay out" Chakotay said.

"Commander we found something that may be of interest" Tuvok said to him having moved up the hall way during the conversation.

"Be right there" Chakotay said as we walk around a dead drone hang out of its alcove.

Chakotay walked into another large chamber whit yet great horrors were on display. There was a pile of drone bodies or at least parts of bodies every full were in tacked but it wasn't as fill they had all been dumped hear with unknown purpose there was a semblance that this was some kind of sick warring or monument to cruelty.

"What is it?" Harry asked to no one in particular looking on the verge of been sick.

"It appears similar to the imagery Kes descried from her vision" Tuvok said told them looking at green in the gills himself.

"I think I'm going to be sick" Harry started.

Chakotay thought he saw some out of the corner of his eye he look again at the pile of bodies one was still twitching then it spoke in a broken voice but Chakotay could not make out what it was saying so he move closer.

"I'm so sorry" Chakotay said sincerely to the broken body of a male drone looking in his one reaming real eye which was as black as the void and seemed to be weeping grey blood. It spoke again and this time he wise he had not heard it.

"Killl…..kil…..kill me…kill me please" the drone said in a brock in voice as he cough up more grey blood.

Tuvok having over heard the Commander and the near dead drone specking said this "do you know what happing to you could you inform us on what events transpired hear?" Tuvok asked.

"Kill me" the drone answered.

"Do you remember who you were?" Chakotay asked knowing that the Borg Nero-link must have been broken because of the drone referred to himself in the first person.

"Five of ten Tactical Adjunct of Unimatrix 567 no…..that wasn't my name my name was Kalled Preyed" the drone said his voice getting harder to hear as he hacked up more blood.

"Kalled can you tell us what happed hear?" Tuvok asked.

Kalled tried to talk but only sprat up garish blood then said in a very small voice "under attack Species 8472 border cube repair cube 10239". Requesting aid no response cube 10239 deemed irrelevant please kill me" Kalled said more blood coming from his mouth nose and ears.

"We will end your suffering soon I promise but can you tell us were your from before you were assimilated?" Chakotay asked wanting to know if maybe one day they might find Kalled home plant or maybe some family and inform them what had happed to him.

"Sector 212 planet 0234 no that's what they call it. My home issss Crallen prime Bata quadrant" Kalled said his voice getting even more hard to hear "please kill me before I hear them again" Kalled said pledging know.

"Thank you Kalled Preyed" Chakotay said he levied his rifle at Kalled head turning up the phaser to kill. Kalled closed his real eye and stared silently mouthing a pray to what every gods his people believed in. Before Chakotay could fire and end Kalled Preyed suffering he started to fit and then died. Chakotay lowered the phaser as Kalled Preyed was no more just another dead drone in a pile of dead drones Harry Looking away from this to a point in the distance a tears running down his face and even Tuvok looked to be moved in some way but too Vulcan to be easy read.

"Let's go" was all Chakotay said taking on last look at the broken body of Kalled Preyed there was a look of peace on his dead face now.

Two hours later the away them found what they were looking for it was a hole in the hull it was 7 meters in diameter and oval in shape and a dark orange colour and smelled of nothing any of them could identify. The air around the opening was rack with the stench of death but that did not deter a drone that was standing in the hole trying to stick its assimilation tubes into the fleshly wall again and again but each time a little shock of light replied its attracts.

"It appears to be trying to assimilated this tissue and it appears as if it failing" Tuvok commented.

"Commander I found an intact data nod over hear" Harry said over at a far wall "it'll take me a few minutes to upload then we can take it back to Voyager" Harry told him.

"Ok Harry you do that while Tuvok and I will have a look in side of this _thing_ then we'll all get the hell of hear" Chakotay said whit determination.

Harry watched Chakotay and Tuvok disappear into the hole his only company was the drone trying to assimilate the fleshy wall and the dead drones lying all round him staring at him with long dead eyes. "Please hurry" Harry said quietly as the ship groaned around him and he couldn't hem but look at the dead drones in the walls.

Tuvok and Chakotay went inside the growth scanning everything inside which didn't reveal much in side was like nothing ever of them had ever seen it was like been inside a liven breathing body with bones a tissue organs but one thing was clear this thing was alive and by their scans was some kind of ship.

"If this is a ship Tuvok then were are its crew if it has crew?" Chakotay asked Tuvok as they scanned a wall that he had said had healed after been hit by a Borg warhead.

"Perhaps they were assimilate or killed by the Borg drones on aboard this vessel" Tuvok said ever the logic Vulcan.

As they rounded a bone fleshy web of the ship which seemed to be grow mushrooms on it. They to saw at least ten dead drones piled up adjust a wall with some kind of red vane grown out of their bodies and they looked like they had been killed then in a great deal of pain.

"Somehow Tuvok I don't think we will be that lucky" Chakotay said running his tricorder over the body of a dead female drone.

"Realign on luck Commander is the height of been illogic" Tuvok answered curtly.

"Commander I got all the data I can from this data nod and I think we should get out of here now!" Harry's voice said cracking in thou the com.

"Why is that Ensign?" Tuvok asked.

"Because that drone that was trying to assimilate the wall just bolted like the hounds of hell where after it and there seems to be something very big heading our way and fast but the scans can't pin it down" Harry said panic entering his voice.

Tuvok and Chakotay met Harry outside the hole in the wall and the three of them ran fast as they could back to the transport sight but they could not escape the sound of battle that was coming from what seemed to be all-around them get louder and louder until.

They were insight of the transport something huge and spider like thing bust from a wall battling half a dozen drones. It was the strangest alien any of them had ever seen it was over 10 feet tall its skin was a greyish brownish, orange mix it seem to have two very long spindly arms ending in bird like hands and walk on 3 backward facing legs it torso was the only thing similar to a humans body and it head was large a squad like but had no mouth or ears. The things eyes were an evil yellowy whit a black x as the irises. It was fighting a group of drones and seemed to be winning. Ripped them apart with its bare hands the drones blood spraying in all directions just then it took a swipe at on drone and clip harry Kim frowning him the rest of the way toward the transport sight harry came crashing down hard and start screaming in unbelievable pain just as Tuvok and Chakotay rushed to aid their falling friend. More drones joined the fight but these ones were defeat from the others the away team had seen so far these one where much bigger had more arms and legs then the more humanoid drones the away team had come cross.

Buy the looks of them they were built for one thing battling this monster Chakotay remembered what Andrews had said. These battle drones charged towered alien he thought that the Borg might win this battle but he was mistaken just before the battle drones could close the distance. The alien killed the last of the normal drones just looked at the battle drones and its skin seemed to change colour for a faction of a second then 3 of the battle drones fell to the ground or and started screaming in pain as their minds were left bracken. One of the battle drones seem to be able to get close enough to the alien and started hacking at it whit an arm that was more like a giant chainsaw then a normal arm the drone manage to hit the alien a few time when the alien pack the battle drone up like a child whit a toy but it didn't use it arm but its mind and started basing the drone on the walls like it was in a bad mood.

Chakotay yelled into the com why this was happing "Voyager emergency beam out NOW and beam us start to sickbay Harry been hart" he ordered

"Right away Commander" Chells voice came in.

Just as the alien competed it's tasked of basing the battle drone to death it notice the small Insect it had been stacking use there primitive beaming technology to have escaped its fury. It had looked so forward to braking there tiny minds apart just like it had done to these paretic drones that lay on the floor around its feet then it mind spoke to it comrades who were removing this scum from the universe **"Brother/sisters the insects have beamed away"** it said

"**Then we sour leave this ruin all the drones are dead or to damaged and I have rigged their piratic power core to explode" one of their number told the rest of the grope.**

"**Well done my sister/brothers we are heading to the ship a shoal hunt these vermin down and phage them from this universe just as we did these **_**Borg**_**" the lord of the grope said.**

"**At once my lord all hail the Undine the weak will parishes" the others in the grope said as they made their way toward there ship and to.**

**Back on Voyager **

The away them beamed strait into the sickbay aboded Voyager and Chakotay and Tuvok put the now unconscious Harry Kim on a nearby bio bed the Doctor came over from where he was still treating Jewry Patter whose face was coved by bandages to prompt healing. Kes who look somehow even worse as she slowly got up from another Bio bed to help with Harrys wounds if Chakotay was any judges she looked as if she had last a fight.

"What happed to Harry" the Doctor asked scanning the young Ensign.

"He was hit by an alien on board the Borg vessel it just clipped him and though him the length of a hall way" Chakotay answered.

"See I told you Doctor they were in danger" Kes added.

"What do you refer to Kes?" Tuvok asked.

"It's the outer thing it showed me you the Commander and Harry getting hurt" Kes said back hotly.

"What is Kes talking about Doctor?" Tuvok asked.

"About 15 minutes ago Kes start to get more visions like the first one but more instance saying you all about to be killed how if you don't mind I have to treat MR KIM now so everyone who's not in need of medic aid please leave." the Doctor said shoeing Tuvok away from Kes and Chakotay out the Door.

**Bridge**

Both Tuvok and Chakotay entered the bridge. "What they hell happen over their? Janeway asked clearly pissed that she had not been kept in the loop and one of her people had been hurt.

"Captain" Chakotay said out of breath still panting from the run "Harry got hurt by an _alien_ on board that ship but he now and it wasn't Borg I sagest we get out of here" Chakotay said taking his seat.

She nodded to Tom how now started to move the ship away from the Borg debris at higher is speeds possible

"Is Harry alright?" Janeway asked again.

"Ensign Kim is in the Doctor's care now Captain" Tuvok answer her question.

"Captain that thing from the Borg Cube just detached from the cube and is falling us at hinge impose" said crewman Galah Grimes from behind Operations. He was a thick set dark skinned Afghanistan man.

"On screen" Janeway order. The scene shows the strange Bio ship flying after them its front glowing with yellow power.

"Captain there power up weapons I think I can't get a good read out on that thing" Galah Grimes said in his deep Afghanistan act sent.

"Hail that ship" Janeway order.

"No response Captain there about fire I think" Galah Grimes told her.

"Tom evasive manoeuvres now" Chakotay ordered.

"Yes SIR" Tom said typing in the controls of the nav. Voyager ducked and weaved away from the ship why also trying to avoid the mess of the Borg debris which was no easy task but this kind if flying was what Tom lived for high speed and even higher stacks pure skill and he loved every minute of it.

"Captain there getting a lock on us" Tuvok said

"Not if I can help it" Tom answer back dialling more commands into the ships NAV

"Shield to full Captain" Tuvok said told her

"Ye of little faith" Tom said to Tuvok "Come you ugly peace of work show me what you got" Tom was saying as he dodged Voyager away from more weapons fire but even with Tom skills they were not fast enough as they were hit but not from the bio ship that was chasing them but an explosion coming from the ruined Borg ship that the away team was just on. The Voyager shock and lights blinked on and off but they reserved relative little damage but it was enough to allow the bio ship to get a clean shot on them. As the Bio ship fired a beam that just grazed the outer edge of their shields. The whole ship shock as if it had been hit by felt like a sun expanding. The lights and consoles all over the ship gave up on life as the sparked a failed and many of the crew hung on for dear life to whatever or whoever was closest.

"Damage report Tuvok" Janeway ordered seen the Vulcan wipe green blood from a cut above his right eye.

"Damage minable, decks 11 to 13 have lost power shield at 45% computer slow the respond we have hull bundling on decks 7 and 8 no KIA as yet reported Captain" Tuvok told her impassively.

"Well thank god for small mercies" Janeway exclaimed.

"Captain that ship that was attacking us it just sitting there and not moving" Galah Grimes said.

"Maybe that explosion did more damage to it than us" Tom said not believing it himself.

"Or they are savaging the kill the" Janeway said "Tuvok statins on weapons?" she asked.

"All weapons are fully working" Tuvok informed her.

"Then prepare to fire if were going out _we going out fighting_" Janeway ordered but before the bio ship or Voyager could fire on each other a small Borg scout ship which had appeared out of nowhere probably been detached in the last moments of life one of the larger ships started firing on the bio ship. It was clear to that entire Borg ship buy the angle of its attack had committed itself to a kamikaze run on the bio ship. The bio ship changed it weapon target to the Borg scout ship and fired it yellow death beam but missed it.

"Well let's not sit around hear" Chakotay said "Tom gets us the hell away from fear maxima speed" he order.

"Shore thing commander but we only have warp 6 right now" Tom told him dialling in the commands.

**Voyager **

Over the next few days later having seemingly left the killing grounds of this new conflict behind the crew continued their journey toward the North West passage but having had to stop at a large group of mentors floating though space to intact repairs. The ships damage was only minor and no one had been badly injured, expected for Ensign Harry Kim who was still fighting for his life in sickbay under the Doctors care. The senior staff expect for the Doctor, Harry and Kes who was helping the doctor and half being looked after herself after more mental assaults from this new foe. The rest of the stuff met her in the briefing room.

"Ok people what have we got so far?" Janeway asked no one in particular.

"Captain I been going over the Borg data that Harry was able to revive from the cube and I think I know why the North West passage is empty of Borg activity" B'Elanna Torres said moving to the rooms wall computer and tipping in the information the small screen showed hundreds of bio-ships flying though what look like a hole in space which seemed to shimmer like light and water on a clear day.

"There must be hundreds of them. Their know way we can use that passage now we barely expected one of those ships" Tom said the colour draining from his face.

"It's an invasion" Janeway said in horror "no wonder the Borg have been acting so strange there fight for their lives. B'Elanna did that data have anything on this Species?" she asked.

"There called Species 8472 and there not much else there Captain the Borg gain information by assimilation and from what I have been able to piece to gather these aliens can't be assimilated and if the Borg can't assimilate they don't understand the only thing is clear is that the Borg have been fight these guys for just over 16 mouths" B'Elanna told them.

"So this Species 8472 can't be assimilated then is that what you're saying?" Janeway asked B'Elanna.

"Yes Captain and from what I can tell they have tried everything this Species 8472 have been wiping the Borg's ass from _first contacted_" B'Elanna answered.

Janeway seem thought for a few moments then said over the com built into the computer trammel on the wall "Doctor how is Harry?" Janeway asked the video screen showing the doctors worried image.

"Mr Kim is stable for the moment but his condition is worsting" the Doctor said from the computer screen.

"How so Doctor?" Tuvok asked.

"Take a look" the Doctor said.

On the screen it showed the young face of Harry Kim and parts of his upper neck and torso gating coved by the same red vane infection that Chakotay and Tuvok had seen on the dead drones on the bio ship.

"What the hell is that doc?" Tom asked looking like he might lose his lunch.

"It seems to be some kind of alien cell mutation of Harry's human cells" the Doctor told them grimy.

"You mean he is going to turn into one of those things?" Tom asked worried for his best friend.

"No…no it seems that this mutation is eating our young friend's from the inside out. This thing has the most complex cellar makeup I have ever seen it's almost has 400 times more density then human cells. I think that's why they Borg haven't been able to assimilated these aliens anything that come into contact with the cells gets destroy it's an amazing immune system this is no doubt that this series 8472 most be the most evolved Species we have every come arouse and from the scans of that bio ship I'll say they and their ships are related somehow" the Doctor said.

"How so doctor?" Tuvok asked.

"Well the only way I can disciple it is like a symbiotic relationships they seem to be made up of the same bio material" the Doctor said.

"Is Harry going to make it?" Chakotay asked concurred ageing his face.

"I'm not shore at the moment he is very weak but he is fighting and I may have a way to help save him but you not going to like it" the Doctor told them.

"What is it Doctor?" Janeway asked her curiosity pecked.

"Upon there exaptation of the cells I found one weakness the cells will not attack each other" the Doctor said

"So how does that help harry?" B'Elanna asked

"I believe the Borg might have the answer to that I have been experimenting with some of the nono-props and I believe that we may be able to reprogramed them to mimic the cells makeup and attack the alien cells" the Doctor stated.

"Wouldn't that mean that you would be trading this cell mutation for Borg assimilation?" Chakotay asked.

"No the cell upon assimilation destroys them self's taking the nano-props with them" the Doctor answered.

"Doctor if this is true then why the Borg has failed to destroy these series 8472 yet?" Tuvok asked his eye brow razing.

"Because the Borg would never consider attacking the cells on an Individual level just in mass it's how their assimilation technology it would never have occurred to them. I have started reprogramed some prototypes to create the same chemicals signature ass the alien cells but it will take several hours to create a viable treatment" the Doctor answered.

"And dose Harry have several hours?" B'Elanna asked.

"I don't know Lieutenant" the Doctor said trailing of.

"Thank you Doctor you have given us a lot to think about do whatever it takes to save harry but could you do one thing for me?" Janeway said.

"Yes Captain?" the Doctor asked.

"Keep the entire information you have gathered loaded into your pregame for the moment" Janeway order suddenly the senior staff looking at her puzzled. Her eyes were alight thought and purpose as the gears and wells of her mind started planning her next move.

"Of Couse" said the Doctor clear puzzled by the Captain's odd request.

"If there is nothing else" Janeway asked "I think is best that we lay low for a while and think about our next move!" Janeway said whit a look on her face which meant she was planning something big and every one expects Chakotay left the briefing room. After a long prose which neater of them speck Chakotay shield and cleared his fought.

"So what are you planning Kathryn?" Chakotay asked gently.

"Who said I was planning anything Chakotay!" Janeway answer hotly.

"You have that look on your face" Chakotay stated plainly.

"You know me to well some times Chakotay!" She stated "What are we going to do?" Janeway asked not really exacting an answer.

"I suppose we can try and leave Borg space this isn't our war" Chakotay forwarded.

"What if it is? What if these Species 8472 are just as bad as the Borg or worse they clearly do not decimate between us and them" Janeway stated hotly as her mind started envisioning worlds been burnt in the cross fire of this war.

"We don't know that Kathryn we could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time." Chakotay told her trying to be reasonable.

"Maybe…..maybe not I need time to think Chakotay, time to make a pain I'm going to the holodeck if you need me" Janeway said as she left for the holodeck.

"Right" he said before taking charge of the bridge more than a little pissed that Kathryn was keeping him out again it made him very anger indeed that he was not on page as Kathryn. He just consoled himself again that they were just to very defeat people perhaps to defect.

**Voyager holodeck 2**

Kathryn Janeway walked into her Leonard de Vinci program and found it a lot defect then how she had left it more the 3 weeks ago when this whole mess whit the Borg had stared it was night know and instead of sun light filling the workshop it was lit but the fickler of candles making the shadows dance in the half light. For a moment or two she thought that Leonard wasn't hear and the holodeck may have been damaged in some way. It was working fine she just had not seen him sitting there looking at the shadows dancing on the walls.

"Leonard? What are you doing?" Janeway asked

"Are my dear Catarina I'm sorry I was lost in thought" Leonard said somewhat dreamily then went back to look at the wall as if it could tell him the meaning of life.

"What are you doing?" Janeway asked again approving the holo graphic man who was sitting in a well-worn arm chair near to the far wall.

"Catarina what do you see when look upon this wall?" Leonard asked patiently taking his eyes of the shadows for the first time to look at her his eye hull of wounder and awe before turn his gaze back to the shadows.

"Just shadows have been cast by the lights." She stated plainly "Why what do you see?" Janeway asked Cleary interested.

"A flock of sparrow's flying thou an open field"…. "People in the market place"….. "A hanged man been punished for is crims…..and yes shadows have been cast by the lights" Leonard said with a bored smile "What has brought you hear so late at night my dear?" Leonard said

"I'm sorry to disturbed you Leonard but I find myself at a cross roads on each side of the road mortal enemy's battle and thou them the only way home" Janeway said her desperation and dementing showing them self's a cross her hard face as if she herself was a battle field for her conflicting emotions.

"Are you shore it is the only way my dear Catarina?" Leonard asked.

"Yes turning back is not an option" Janeway said more to herself than Leonard.

"I see" he said then looked back to her then the wall thoughtful for a moment "there are times when in my imagination I find I can create hole new worlds fielded with wounder beam created and destroyed by the same imagination that created them but there are times when my imagination is not enough and even I find myself kneeing in pray to god to perhaps seek a greater imagination then my own. He said wistful then he got from the chair and took her hands "Come we will wake the Albeit and pray to the greatest imagination of all" Leonard told her making to move thought his missy workshop.

"I don't think praying will help me this time" Janeway said smiling kindly at him then she looked at the wall and idea hit her then like a buckshot. This same idea had come to her early during her argument with Chakotay. It was crazy, mad, insane and impossible but there it was in the shadows on the wall like Leonard said seeking a greater imagination. "But perhaps an appeal to the _devil_" she said "Computer end programme." Janeway commanded.

"Programme terminated" the computer droned.

**The sickbay**

Janeway left the holodeck then walk quickly as pains began forming in her mind. Her first stop was the sickbay to check up on Harry Kim who was still in sickbay been treated by the Doctor and Kes. She walked in to sickbay to see Harry lying down on a bio bed whit a nerves Kes looking down at I'm trying to reassure him that the doctor's nono-probe treatments will save his life.

"Doctor a moment of your time please" Janeway asked.

"Yes Captain you need something? I was just about to start treating Mr Kim infection" the Doctor stated walking over to where the Captain stood.

"Good" Janeway said then looking to Kes after the young woman said something confecting to Harry whichever he couldn't respond. "Doctor is you shore it a wise idea have Kes work whit you on this we know that she has been getting visions from these Species 8472 they could be getting information on us as we speck" Janeway said quietly so Kes's keen hearing wouldn't pick up on their conversation.

"I would never betray Voyager you know that!" Kes said shocked over hearing them talk even while on the other side of sickbay.

"I do Kes but these aliens are unlike anything we have ever seen before for all any of us know they could be having you spy on us whit out you every knowing it" Janeway told her see shock and perhaps disappointment cross Kes's face "You said yourself that you have been feeling defeat for the last few days and I'm afraid that intel we understand more about this Species 8472 I can't have you working in sickbay" Janeway told her kindly.

"I know I have been acting strange the last couple of weeks but I don't think there watching us all the time or using me as a spy….look at me captain I'm the same Kes you have always know I'm not been controlled" Kes said trying to puff herself up.

"I'm sorry Kes I wish I could believe that I truly do but we can't have ourselves to be compromised. So until further notice need to be on the bridge" Janeway ordered.

"Captain I must protest we have no idea what effects these commutations are having on Kes. She should stay here were I can monitor her" the Doctor exclaimed hotly.

"_Doctor_ I'm going say this once and once only." Janeway snapped "Kes you are going to the bridge until we can find a way to stop Species 8472 from popping into your head whenever they fell like it and that an order" Janeway said hotly her temper getting the better of her.

"Yes Captain" Kes said. Then Kes walk past Janeway whit a hurt look on her face and made her way to the bridge.

"Now Doctor you were saying about treating Harry?" Janeway asked a few minutes later.

"Yes _Captain_ I'm going to start with small doses first so I can create the effect dosage for latter treatments of modified nono-probes to give Harry the best chance" the Doctor said putting the argument he and the Captain had behind him.

Kathryn and the Doctor moved to the side of Harry bio-bed and to her horror the red vanes that she had seen before had grown to cover most of Harry face and chest and he was still very much awake she knew this because he was crying. "Doctor! Why have you sedated Him yet?" Janeway asked in shock.

"I have try every sedative we have but nothing works it seems that Species 8472 cells seem to inhibit all the medications we can create." The Doctor said solemnly.

"O my god Harry I'm _so sorry_" Janeway said trying not the shed tears for the sick wounded man.

"_Itssss allll right Captain I'm shore that the doc can fix me uppp_" Harry said slowly obviously in a great deal of pain.

"This may sting a bit harry" the doc said pushing the hypo-spay into harry neck and at first nothing happen but then some of the red veins growths greyed and melted way.

"Amassing Doctor it works" said Janeway impressed.

"Hum mm yes it seems it doses according to the scans we have a 20% loss of infection 5 more treatment like that and we should have our Ensign back. I have to admit I do very good work" the Doctor said inflating his own ego.

"Very good work Doctor and Ensign you stick in there and fight this that an order" Janeway said kindly.

"_Yes's Captain_" Harry rasped.

"Now Doctor a word" Janeway said quietly touching his should and the both moved away from their sickly friend.

"Of course Captain it will take an hour for the next beach of nono-probes to be grown and reprogrammed" the Doctor said as he and the Captain walked over to his office.

"Doctor have you been keeping all this data in you program like I asked?" Janeway asked pointedly.

"Yes Captain all thou I don't know why" the Doctor said clearly puzzled.

"We will get to that later." She stated "first do you think we could weaponries these reprogrammed nono-probes?" Janeway asked.

The doctor look shocked and appalled for a moment but she just gave him a stern look. "In theory yes Captain I'm assuming you won't some short of defence if we get attacked buy Species 8472 again" the Doctor stated.

"Something like that. So do you think it can be done?" Janeway asked trying to get to the point with showing her hand.

"Like I said Captain in theory yes although creating a medic treatment and a weapon is two defeat things and there are my ethically subroutines would prevent me from building such a weapon" the Doctor stated

Janeway shied "that's what was afraid of!" She said disappointed "Thank you Doctor informs me when Ensign Kim has recovered" Janeway told him.

"Of course Captain" the Doctor said watching her levee and saying to Harry as he scanned some more "now what would you prefer Mr Kim Beethoven or Mozart?" the Doctor asked.

"_Doc please I'm dying already do you have to sing_?" Harry said dredging hearing more of the Doctors singing. He was in enough pain as it was.

"Come now Mr Kim you should know that many studies of show that Lessing classical music while being inflicted by an illness have shown a 30% higher rate of recovery" the Doctor told him.

"_Doc please_" harry said to weakly to be herd.

"Hum nothing to say o well Mozart it is then" the Doctor said and start singing as he made more nono- probes and treated Harry Kim.

**Voyager **

As Captain Kathryn Janeway walk from sickbay hearing one of Mozart's opera's been played to Harry buy the Doctor. She started to consider what lines she had crossed in her life? Starfleet Regis, Moral lines, time lines. She walked up to the turbo lift she thought about the line she was considering crossing it was going to be without a doubt a greatest line she had very crossed even more so that getting involved with Caretaker and the Ocampan and the Kazon. Hear she was again making the hard choses and crossing lines like stranding this crew in this god forsaken quadrant, when she brought Chakotay and his Maquis crew and incorporated them into her Starfleet crew, when she had directly or indirectly interfered with the time line no less than three times. She shied at the memories of her triumphs and her failings. She remembered her conversation with Chakotay before and how he had tried to re-shore her by saying there was no same impersonating the greats but all she could do was asked herself what they would do in her steed or what at vice they might give her. This only made her fell the loneliness of her surrounding even more but should used that feeling of isolation to steel herself for what she had to do. Like the outer hard chooses she had made she had few chose's in her decision's it was her adjust the quadrant and she was determined to win.

"Captain Janeway to Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant's Tuvok, B'Elanna Torres, Tom Paris and Mr Neelix join me at the Briefing room. I come to a decision on our next course of action" Janeway ordered.

A course of "Yes Captain's" came from each of her senior staff. Moments later her crew met her in the briefing room and stood waiting for whatever decision she had made. None of them could have possible gassed what she was going to say as she turned to face them all looking each in the eye.

"Thank you all for coming." Janeway greeted "I know the last few weeks have been hard for every one and those times are likely going to get harder still." Janeway said prosing for breath "Frist I like to say how proud I am of each and every one of you have all proving your self's above and behold the call of duty. I know I have asked all of you to do a lot for this crew over the last 3 years and I like to think we are a family and you have all proven your self-time and again and I'm asking you all to prove yourself one more time" Janeway told them all.

"What is this all about Captain?" B'Elanna asked blank of her usually fiery expressions.

"What I'm about to suggest is going to sound" Janeway pursed "a little crazy but hear me out" for their part her senior crew just looking at each outer and at her then she said the words she thought she would never say "we are going to give the Borg the means to fight Species 8472" Janeway finished sho could see the shock rip across the faces of her signor staff.

"Captain that is insane" B'Elanna said forgetting herself for a few moments "I'm sorry I did mean to say it like that but the BORG Captain we can't give the Borg a weapon" B'Elanna sated.

"Alliance whit the Borg Captain they will just assimilate us!" Tom said shocked.

"Not an alliance so much but an ex-change they get what they won't and we get what we won't" Janeway told them.

"Captain I must question your logic in seeking out the Borg we have nothing they could desirer that could make them compliant with any requests we could make our assimilation would be a shored" Tuvok stated.

"Not so Tuvok we have one thing they need more than anything else" Janeway told them. The crew just looked at her as if she had grown 3 heads.

"And what might that be Captain" Chakotay asked both shocked and deeply warred that Kathryn may have final lost it.

"The Doctor has found a way to attack Species 8472 cells when finding a treatment for Harry condition" she answer then move over to the console to show them the data the doctor had shown her earlier of the nano-probe attacking the cells and killing them. "The Doctor believes that this could be harassed into making a weapon to fight Species 8472" Janeway said.

"Captain even if we can make a weapon out of these modified nano-probes then we don't need the Borg we can just keep going thought Borg space" Chakotay stated "and use this weapon on any series 8472 that we might come across" he added

"Maybe but how far could we get! We saw hundreds of bio-ships coming from that tear in space and _god only know_ how many other tears there might have out there and there is still the Borg if we get ambushed whit the Doctor and this nano-probe treatment then we lost our edge. No we go to the Borg give them the weapon and in exchange they lets us get though their space unharmed. The safety of 1 ship is a small price to pay for a weapon fight Species 8472" Janeway stated hotly.

"It too risky Kathryn….We can't trust the Borg" Chakotay stated coolly hold her.

"I'm not saying we try and change the nature of the beast but the Borg is no defeat from us in one way. They won't to survive. For the what maybe the first time in their history there losing and that makes them vulnerability we can hold them over a barrel in till we get what we need, we won't give them a god dammed thing until we are out of there space and their protection." Janeway stated hotly.

"Captain there are still other options we could leave Borg space and try and find another way home this isn't our"…. Chakotay said

"Our fight" Kathryn interrupted Chakotay "maybe it is how long do you really think it will take Species 8472 finish with the Borg? What if they don't stop with them? You saw what they're capable of and if they pose a threat to the Borg how long do you think it'll take them to start attracting the rest of the delta quadrant? From what Kes has said the view us all as too weak to be allowed to live. No we have to act know before we lose our chance" Janeway said with passion.

"The Captain makes a valid point Commander it is clear that the Borg lack of knowledge on Species 8472 may give us the advance we need" Tuvok said and Chakotay just looked at the Tuvok as if the Vulcan had also lost his mind then looked at his friends and couldn't believe any of them was conceding this madness. A long silence dissented on in the briefing room for long moments no one spoke.

"I don't know about this Captain but if we go thought with this alliance how are we going to stop the Borg from just taking the information they need from us?" Neelix asked breaking the silence standstill.

"I have had the Doctor store all the information in his program. We can use him as leverage if don't agree we can threaten to delete the Doctor with all the information and they will lose any advantage we could give them and even if they assimilate us they gain nothing and we will make shore the Borg know that" Janeway stated looking to her crew to try and see some support for this plan but there was very little even Tuvok looked on the fence.

"All right we have a lot of work to do" she said with a shy "Tom I won't you to set a course for the nearness Borg ships" Janeway ordered.

"Yes mama" Tom said quietly

"B'Elanna I won't you on the on Operations Intel we get Harry Back" Janeway ordered.

"I think you're crazy Captain but I go were ever you go" B'Elanna said reluctant looking between Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay.

"Neelix I'm going to need you to keep up moral I know this isn't going to go over well for some of the Crew" Janeway said this and looked to Chakotay doubt ridden face.

"You can count on me Captain" Neelix said pleasantly.

"The next few days are going to be the hardest the crew have ever faced and I know we can face it together" Janeway said but the words sounded hollow. Everyone expect for Kathryn and Chakotay left the briefing room and Chakotay gave her a hard look the same he had when they first met as foes over 3 years ago.

"Don't look at me like that Chakotay this is our only option" Janeway stated hotly.

"Is it or is it just the closest one to hand Captain you haven't even consider any other options. We shouldn't get involved hear" Chakotay said his anger starting to bubble over.

"We can't just give up Chakotay" Janeway replied.

"I NEVER SAID WE SOULD GIVE UP" Chakotay yelled hotly before regain his senses "but we don't have all the facts we don't know anything about Species 8472 they may got do us all a favour and exterminate the Borg and leave the rest of the galaxy alone" Chakotay said.

"What if you wrong and they don't stop with the Borg this could be our one chance…" she said back before been interrupted buy Chakotay again

"To do what exactly Captain?" Chakotay asked getting truly angry "Help the Borg to assimilate another Species and add to the Borg's power all for our own benefit!" told her.

"Who's to say that this quadrant owes us _one_!" She yelled back "How many good people have we lost since the Caretaker ripped away from the alpha quadrant they _don't we disserve a chance to get out of here in one piece_?" Janeway asked but as soon as she said it Kathryn regretted saying it as Chakotay looked at her with a mix of horror and revulsion.

"And who the hell are you to decide that Captain Kathryn Janeway I was connected to former drone's remember!" he said his word full of venom and rage. Then taking calming breath before continuing "You have known clue what is like to have outer people control your mind and see outer people memorise" he said final gating a control of his anger because he know that getting anger would not help is case.

"Chakotay I didn't mean to say it like that." Janeway said with a deep shine. "I just thought you of all people would understand and be on my side". Janeway said convinced she was making the right call

Chakotay just let out a long heavy shy as he let his rage be cool "We cannot trust the Borg they are the Scorpion that is there nature" Chakotay said simply.

"What do you mean?" Janeway asked puzzled.

"There an outer legend my farther used to tell me." He said "Once a long time ago a Scorpion was walking along the side of a river wounding how he was going to get across but then he came across a fox traveling the same root as he and he asked the fox if he could climb on him cross the river to this the fox said "_No if I did that you will just sting me and I'll drown_" and the Scorpion said "_if I did that we will both drown_". The fox thought long and hard about it and agreed. He leaned down and let the Scorpion climb on his back and entire the river. As the crossed midway the fox felt a pain in his back and he knew he was betrayed by the Scorpion he ask it "_why have you done this know we will both drown_" to this the Scorpion said "_because it my nature_". Chakotay finished telling the story.

"That all very well and good _Commander_ but this isn't a fairy tale. I have made my decision I was just trying to get your support in this but obvious I was wrong" Janeway said coolly.

"Captain I am sorry I will follow your orders but this is asking too much" Chakotay said know we was losing this argument

"And what was all that about always been on my side Commander I expected your support" Janeway restated "but I suppose I really am alone" she said sadly looking at him with regret filling her heart but what was said was said and what hat to be done there was no backing down know.

"In this you are and I truly am sorry but this has got to be the worst idea in the very long line of bad ideas" Chakotay said keeping himself from saying anymore.

"That is enough Commander! I have given you and the crew orders I expect them to be fallowed to the letter" Janeway said disappointed he could not see things her way.

"Yes Captain" Chakotay said his word cold and unforgiving as he walked out the door leveeing her all alone. She just get all the energy left her and she slumped into one of the chairs and put her face in her hands and wised that things could be different but they weren't and likely would never be the same again no matter how this turned out.

**Next Chapter Fox and the Scorpion part 2**

AN: Now I know some of your going to have questions so I'm going to try answering them.

Frist the time stuff 1st let me say even know I'm a fan of star trek I have no clue how their time dating star dates work so if someone can explain it to me that would be good but I'm not focusing on it. And two in the show it was never clear how long there were in Borg space.

2ed many people will think this story is kind of all over the place. But that not true I won't to make the characters fell more real other than their stock self's we get in the show so if you don't like it to bad so sad. Remember people the characters have been though a lot and know what to go into Borg space its pity much the heart of darkness. You can't expect people to be happy go lucky with it like they are on the show and I hope I showed that with Neelix, Chakotay and especially Sam Wildman remember she lost her daughter in the show in the episode dead lock if I'm not mistaken she got '_her'_ back but she still lost one that I know that is something you never get over fully but it is never brought up in the show they just forget about it.

3. I won't this chapter to be dark especial the Borg bits that's why I have the dead kid in the champers and wounded drone and I did that because I wonted both you guys and Chakotay to see to full horror of the Borg and this in my mind and this flick one of the resins he stays away from Seven in the first 2 years of her stay on Voyager but those of you hoping for romance then look elsewhere like I said for chapter 1 I'm manly going by show cannon ok I'm going to change it up a little but no kissing our outer stuff like that but there will be hints and friend ships so keep your boxes on.

5. Some of you reading may notice I didn't really service Kes very well I have only one thing to say. I don't care Kes has never been one of my favorite characters and never will be and this story is going to focus from now on more on Seven, Chakotay and Janeway by the by this is not a Janeway, Chakotay pairing so if you like that stuff look elsewhere.

6 as for the quotes I have dissuaded that's going to be my trademark so deal with it as for the rest of the story I have 8 chapters planed in total and so no one is confused hear is the list as it stands now

Chapter 1 Beginnings

Chapter 2 Fox and the Scorpion part one

Chapter 3 Fox and the Scorpion part two

Chapter 4 the biter gift

Chapter 5 Honor and duty

Chapter 6 Enemy's

Chapter 7 on raven wings

Chapter 8 no progress is without cost

Ok that it I hope you enjoy. Please review. Request story's (no twilight in less you like gore) and ask questions knowing is growing. Yours Alaster Boneman


	3. Chapter 3 Fox and the Scorpion part 2

63

The Devil you know a star trek Voyager fan fiction

By Alaster Boneman

**Chapter 3 Fox and the Scorpion part 2**

AN: if you like my stuff please look up Scifiromance fan factions fan fictions they are one million times better than anything thing I will ever right write so check them out. And thanks Scifiromance for all you wonderfully all of your wonderful support and reviews and thanks for updating the gift that's my favourite story. Thank you for the promo and compliments! By the by thank you so much Scifiromance for bataing my story. Ps sorry for any spelling mistakes.

AN: This story was made for non-profit. All Characters and star trek universe belong to Paramount.

**Fox and the Scorpion part 2**

**"The enemy of my enemy is a problem for later for now I have use of them" Caiaphas Cain **

**Voyager Bridge**

The next few days were extremely stress inducing for every member of the crew from the Captain down to the lowest crewmember of Voyager. All debates and arguments were slowly silenced by the heavy tension and fear that saturated the ship's atmosphere as they searched for a Borg strong hold stronghold. After 4 days of building tension and frying fraying nerves they had found what they were looking for, a Borg planet with a fleet of ships circling around it like bees around a hive. If hell was ever a real place then this fouled foul world was it. The planet's landmass was a lifeless wasteland; the seas had long since evaporated or been used power had been funnelled into hydro-electric power stations to feed the needs of the Collective. Covering most of the planet like some black cancer was a Borg city. It leached out all colour from this world and replacing had replaced all natural light with oceans of green light emitted from the hellish metal city. The crew could make out hundreds of Borg vessels from small scout ships to massive cubes that could have swallowed Voyager whole like Jonah and the whale. Voyager closed the distance with one of the larger cubes. It had noticed them and now was heading their way.

"Hold her steady Tom." Janeway ordered, noticing his shaking hands and pale face as the massive cube eclipsed their ship and completely filled Voyages Voyager's view screen.

"Yes Captain." Tom said in a voice near a whisper.

"Tuvok, status on shields?" Chakotay asked, given giving Kathryn one last hard look and prayed praying to whatever powers there may be in the universe that Kathryn was right about this.

"Shields are at 100% Commander and we are running ever every modulation possible." Tuvok told him looking almost tense himself.

"Captain, they are they're hailing us." B'Elanna said quietly from behind Operations.

"Let's hear it" Janeway said calmly looking around to each and every person on the bridge. She could see the worry and fear on their faces but she would not let that distract her from what had to be done. "Let's hear it." Janeway said calmly not letting her own fear get the better of her.

"WE ARE THE BORG. Existence as you know it is over. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. You will adapt to service us. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." the Borg's monotone declaration resonated throughout Voyager. Then the cube shot out a green tractor beam which caught Voyager and started to drag it towards the cube like a fish on a line.

"Borg vessel, this is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Federation Voyager we have information that may be of interest to the Collective." Janeway stated, trying to keep up a calm resolve.

"Your designations are irrelevant. You will be assimilated, any knowledge you possess will be added to our own." The Collective replied.

"We know about your war with Species 8472 and we know you are losing but we have developed a weapon that can fight them. We wish to discuss terms." Janeway said, not letting her fears get the better of her.

"You will be assimilated, any technological distinctiveness or knowledge you possess will be added to our own. Resistance is futile." the Borg stated.

The Borg's statements were not encouraging in the slightest but Kathryn was not about to be deterred. "I'm sending you over a small sample of the information we posse possess and we are willing to give you the rest if you agree to our terms." Janeway said then nodded to B'Elanna who sent them a copy of the Doctor's file on Species 8472 cell death. "If you try to take this information by force we will destroy it. You have to…." Janeway speech was cut short in the green flash of Borg transport.

"What the hell!" Tom exclaimed, "How did they do that?"

"It doesn't matter, get her back!" Chakotay ordered, looking over to Tuvok.

"I cannot Commander, they are scattering the Captain's signature." Tuvok informed him as his hands danced on the controls. "Commander they are no longer pulling us in" Tuvok told him.

"I hope you know what you're doing Kathryn" Chakotay muttered quietly. "B'Elanna I want you to find me a way around the Borg's scattering field!" he ordered seen a pail faced B'Elanna who could only jive a nod "Tuvok do you still have a lock on her bio-reading?

"Yes Commander they have not assimilated the Captain" Tuvok said calmly.

'Yet' Chakotay thought to himself. 'I really hope your right about this Kathryn".

**Borg cube**

Captain Kathryn Janeway appeared in a green light of a Borg transporter. "Have to….listen" Janeway said finished and then was silent as she took in her surroundings and gulped. She had appeared on a huge walk way connecting one side of the Cube with another. It seemed to stand over an abyss with other walk ways above and below her. On the sides of the vast room Borg drones were going about their task's tasks numbering into the hundreds. The entire room was bathed in a sickly green light.

"State your demands and terms." the Voice of the Borg said, seemingly coming from all directions.

"We seek to be allowed to travel through Borg space without begin assimilated by the Borg or coming under any other type of threat by from the Borg. Once we are past Borg space we will give you the information you need." Janeway told them.

"We will not allow your vessel to leave OUR space with the data we require. Give us the information and you may leave our space with been without being harmed." the Borg stated.

"No. If I did that then you would assimilate us, if not now then later." Janeway retorted hotly easily seeing thought the Collative ploy.

"Give us the information or you will be assimilate assimilated." the Borg threatened.

"If you do that my crew will destroy the data and even if you assimilate us you still lose." Janeway stated calmly.

"We will adapt and prevail." the Borg stated.

"But can you risk the loss of our information? All we want is safe passage though Borg space the safety of one ship is a low price to pay for the information, you will need to win this conflict." Janeway told them hoping to appeal to the Collective logic over their innate arrogance.

"Restate your demands and terms." The Borg told her.

"Ok then, how about you take Voyager and her crew unharmed though Borg space. We We'll give you the information you need once we have reached the edge of your space." Janeway offered hoping the Collective would be willing to compromise.

"Ineffective. Our space is vast. To reach the nearest edge will take unaccepted an unacceptable amount of time. Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation star ship Voyager will remain on board this vessel and aid us in the construction of a weapon. We will escort Federation star ship Voyager out of our territory." the Borg counter-offered.

"That sounds reasonable but I will need assurances first." Janeway told them. She was surprised at this reasonable turn in the conversation but did not let her guard down.

"State your terms?" The Borg asked.

"First I want to be able to communicate with my crew at any time." She let out a breath that hadn't known she'd been holding. "Secondly, I wise for my Security officer Lieutenant Commander Tuvok to be allowed to transport over to this vessel to assist me without being harmed. Third, you will not try to assimilate myself or any member of my crew or ship. If you do we will destroy the data. Fourth this vessel will transport my ship and crew to the edge of Borg space in the direction of the alpha quadrant, agreed?" Janeway asked, looking around the dark insides of the cube.

"We agree with your demands and terms." the Borg stated "We have demands and terms of our own."

"Ok, what are they?" Janeway asked, curious about what the Borg might ask for in return and pleased that this was going well, at least so far.

"You and your crew member will remain aboard this vessel for the duration of our alliance. You will not a try attempt to transport over to your vessel unless this vessel is compromised. You and your crew member will not interfere with any Borg Operations on this vessel. Any attempt sabotage or misinformation will be punishable with the assimilation of your crew and vessel." The Borg threatened.

"All right we have a deal." Janeway said agreed, not letting them scare her into submission.

"You will now communicate with your crew and assure them of our alliance." the Borg commanded.

At that, a holographic view screen appeared seemingly out of thin air showing the bridge of Voyager. Chakotay was standing giving orders to the crew then looked straight at her. His dark toned face showed visible relief with which quickly changed to an expression of grave concern.

"Captain! You're alright!?" Chakotay said and he forget for a moment the anger he he'd felt mere hours ago that had being building for the last few days. He was mealy glade glad to see that his friend was unharmed.

"Yes Commander I'm fine. We have a deal with the Borg, they are going to escort us to the nearest edge of their space in the direction of the alpha quadrant and we going to work with them on the designing a weapon on route." Janeway informed him calmly hope that Chakotay wouldn't do anything stupid to jeopardise the alliance.

"Understood Captain, we can get you out of there." Chakotay offered, still extremely pessimistic about this alliance.

"No Commander you won't. I'm to remain here and work on the weapon with them. Lieutenant Tuvok is to come over to aid me." Janeway ordered, hoping Chakotay would prove trusting enough to try and not attack the cube and get her back by force but deep down she knew he wasn't that foolish.

"Captain that isn't necessary we can set up a data link and work on the weapon from here and give it to the Borg as we go." Chakotay suggested, his dark face unreadable.

"I'm sorry Commander it isn't negotiable." Janeway told him, trying to not sound nervous about being stuck on-board a fully operational Borg Cube with no support or plan b.

"Understood." Chakotay said calmly, worry ageing his dark face.

"Commander that cube is heading in the direction of the alpha quadrant." Tom told Chakotay.

"I looks like the Borg are holding up their side of the bargain, I suggest we do the same." Janeway commented giving Chakotay a hard look that meant don't let your guard down.

"Ok but could you tell them to drop that tractor beam? We can match their speed without being shackled." Chakotay told her forcedly.

"I'll suggest it, Janeway out." Janeway said as the link was cut.

**Voyager **

Tuvok gathered up some pads full of some of the information they had gathered on Species 8472. As Tuvok left for the turbo lift to take him down to the transporter room Chakotay walked over to him and said quietly, "Tuvok I know I don't have to say this but stay safe over there and keep Kathryn out of trouble" Chakotay said then he handed Tuvok 2 mico paten enhancer two micro-pattern enhancers that Voyager had received a few months ago from one a travelling salesman by the name of Ner'oto who they had helped out with a spot of trouble when his ship had been caught in a gravity well.

"Of course Commander." Tuvok said slipping the mico paten enhancer micro-pattern enhancers into one of his pockets. Tuvok knew that the mico paten enhancers micro-pattern enhancers were useful and had got in gotten the Voyager away teams out of haziest hazardous situations on more than one occasion but were some wont somewhat unpredictable in nature. Sometimes transporting an individual to their desired location other times not. There was on one occasion were where crewman Tal Celes had accident accidently activated one on an away mission. She had ended up 7 kilometers away from the rest of the away team in a wild life preserve maintained by the plants owners to house their more dangerous predators but fortunately for Tal Celes they had found her up a tree hiding from the planets version of a an Earth lion. But in lieu of any other options both he and Chakotay knew if things did not go as planned then the micro-pattern enhancers may be the only way of escape for himself and Captain Janeway.

**Borg Cube **

"Could you drop the tractor beam?" Janeway asked, looking around again.

"The tractor beam is there to ensure that your crew does not attempt to escape with the data we require." the Borg informed her.

"That's why I'm here as an insurance policy right?" Janeway said, get getting annoyed as she realised she she'd been taken hostage by the Borg and petty much agreed to be their barging chip adjust against Voyager but that was beater then better than the alternative.

"Your words are meaningless but to insure your continued compliance we will deactivate our tractor beam. We warn you that any attempt at duplicity or sabotage will be punishable by the assimilation of your crew and vessel." The Borg stated.

Then Tuvok appeared next to Janeway, not in the green of the Borg transporter but the clear colourless light of a Federation transporter holding a case of pads under his arm. To the credit of Vulcans everywhere Tuvok just took in his sounding surroundings with only his trade make trademark eyebrow raised as to the change in environments. Two Borg drone walk drones walked towards them from either side of the walk way.

"Captain it is good to see you are unharmed. I have brought all the information we are currently allowing the Borg to have in order to start work on developing a weapon." Tuvok told her, as nonplussed as ever.

"Tuvok it's good to see you to too." Janeway said with a smile, letting relief fill her with the knowledge that her oldest and most trusted friend know had her back.

"I have bought information that you might find of interest." Tuvok told her as the drones closed the distance, standing over both Tuvok and Kathryn Kathryn's shoulder and ushering along the walkway towards a corridor.

"Your conversation will cease. You will fallow follow these drones to grid 92 sub-junction of 12, comply." the Borg said as the Drones closed in to move them into the bowels of the ship. It took take some time to get to this 92 sub-junction of 12 as they descended. Kathryn could she thought were the bowels of hell as they moved past hundreds of drones of all shapes and sizes and races working on all many kinds of equipment. The atmosphere was hot, sticky and close until they arrived at sector 92 sub-junctions of 12.

"You have arrived at sector 92 sub-junction 12, we will now begin." One of the drones moved its arm to point into a large chamber filled with all manner of strange technologies and at least twelve drones were awake and standing there just watching both Tuvok and Kathryn with utterly blank stares.

"Ok from the data we have…" Janeway was saying before a drone's pinned both her and Tuvok to the ground. "What is the meaning of this?" Janeway stated, aghast as she tried to struggle against the drone's iron grip.

"We find your means of commotion communication ineffective. We are implanting you with neuro-link transceivers. We will work as one mind." the Borg told them and as a drone attached dome link the implants to both her and Tuvok's neck necks and another started tipping in on typing into a computer screen.

"We think better with our individuality intact, haven't we proven that to you?" Tuvok stated, ever still calm even as he as struggled adjust against the drone holding him down but even his Vulcan strength could not prevail adjust against the strength of the drone. He tried to reach for the mico transvers in his pocket but was unable to reach them as the drone holding him down had performed a kind of arm lock.

"The implants are temporary, you will not be harmed." the Borg stated.

"Tell your drone to remove the implants or the deal is of" Janeway said trying to stand up but the drone was too strong to fight.

"Your fear is irrational, you will not be harmed. We will think as one mind." the Borg told them and the drone working on the computer when went to a large lever and was about to doom them to being part of the hive mind.

Kathryn was desperate. She knew the Borg would plunder ever thing everything she was away from her, alliance or no alliance. Grasping at straws she remembered what they the Borg had called Captain Picard when they assimilated him. "Wait how about a compromise, designate one drone for us to talk and work with to use as an ambassador." Janeway offered as she remembered what the Borg had done to Captain Picard all those years ago during Wolf 359.

"Elaborate?" The Borg asked the drone stopped just before flipping the switch.

"You have done it before, when you transformed Captain Jean-Luc Picard into Locutus." Janeway told them as most spitting she spat out the cursed name of her fellow captains utter ego.

At that the Drones holding them down remove removed the neuro-link implants and step stepped back in ursion unison, allowing Tuvok and her to get to their feet. Then a section of wall slid open, reviving revealing a single female drone who then stepped out of and an alcove and approached them slowly as is if she had all the time in the world. This drone was tall, as most almost as tall as Tuvok easily head and shoulders above Kathryn's stock stocky frame. The drone's left eye was a clear, flawless sky blue. Unlike the other drones with their gassy glassy dead eyes hers were pinpoint, not unlike a drug addicts addict's, but also far more measuring as is in this drone was studying them.

She was exacted exactly like the outers was others, with a matt grey skin tone and that was lined with black vanes look veins looking almost corpse like but despite all the implants and scars and dead skin Kathryn could this see that this unfortunate woman was had been, at one point, human. She glanced at Tuvok, who also seemed to recognise this fact. The drone circled them like a wolf might circle sheep whiting waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Not for the first time Kathryn thought of Chakotay Chakotay's story about the Fox and the Scorpion. He was clearly not mistaken, she could only pray that this scorpion wouldn't sting them yet.

"We speak for the Borg. We are Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. You may call us Seven of Nine." She informed them. Her voice was clear and young if slightly monotonous.

"Ok then good to meet you Seven of Nine. I am Captain Janeway and this is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok." Janeway told her.

"We are aware of you designations, they are irrelevant." Seven on nine of Nine told them coolly.

"OK then." Janeway said, not knowing what to make of Seven of Nine's manner or lack of manners. She was more than a little unnerved by the drone's commanding prance but pleased that she and Tuvok hadn't lost their minds to the Collative, she could grin and bear anything outer other than that.

"You were about to suggest a delivery method for the modified nano-probes?" Seven of Nine asked.

"Yes." Tuvok said.

"Complete your statement." Seven of Nine commanded.

"We were going to suggest modifying of torpedo a modified torpedo from Voyager as a sufficient delivery method…" Tuvok said began.

"U.S.S Voyager, Intrepid class star ship, Torpedo complements 32 class, 6 photo photon war heads, 200 explosive isotone yield." she interrupted as if reading of Voyages specks off Voyager's specs from a check list. "These are insufficient for our needs." Seven of Nine informed them, turning her piecing gaze to Tuvok.

"How did you know that?" Janeway asked, suddenly worried that the Borg might be trying to circumvent their alliance with Voyager by hacking into it its systems.

"We are Borg." Seven of Nine stated, turn her gaze to turning her gaze to Kathryn.

"Well if you have a better solution by all means go ahead." Janeway said hotly, not allowing herself to be intimated by this drone.

"We do." Seven stated her tone became as cold as ice. Then she walked to the outer other side of the chamber with both Janeway and Tuvok in tow. Seven of Nine stopped at a large computer display and rapidly tipped typed in information. "We will construct a multi-kinetic neuronic Tactical inter-space mine with a five million isotone yield. It would spread the modified nano-probes over a 6 light year radius. This weapon would be the most effective solution to cease the threat posed by Species 8472." Seven of Nine explained.

Kathryn looked at the diagram of a huge weapon of war and doing the math in her head she knew this weapon wasn't built to pacify or to defend but to exterminate, a burnt earth tactic if she'd ever seen one. "A weapon of that size would destroy an entire star system. Not to mansion that mention the damage it could do to subspace." Janeway hotly informed the impassive Seven of Nine who merely regarded Captain Janeway as a scientist would study a new virus in a petri dish, that one cold blue eye studying her reaction.

"It is effective. This weapon would decimate Series Species 8472's forces and once deployed to the most contested sectors their defeat would be assured." Seven of Nine said in response.

"Even if you were victors victorious using this method you would destabilize the subspace in those sectors and could adversely affect the creation of stable warp fields throughout the delta quadrant. It would take the Doctor several weeks to create the amount of modified nano-probes required to make such a weapon viable. We could not effetely effectively create such a weapon nor do you have time to deploy it in the most effetely effective way against Species 8472." Tuvok told Seven of Nine, who turned her piercing calculating gaze away from the computer scene screen to give Tuvok an emotionless death glair glare.

"You wish to challenge our logic Vulcan?" Seven asked.

Kathryn was not one to let her friends be insulted nor was she going to allow the Borg the chance to destroy or endanger countless innocent lives that might be caught up in the conflict. She may not be able to change the Borg's outlook on life but she might be able to lessen the damage that would result from this war. "I'm not giving you the information so you can destroy or disrupt more innocent lives. This war is between you and Species 8472, the only reason we have even approved approached you is because we have a common enemy and I'll be dammed before I let you destroy any life's any more lives than necessary using our technology." Janeway said, venting some anger at the drone woman.

"If we were to transport 500 drones on to your vessel Captain Janeway to take the information we need do you believe that your crew could provide significant resistance?" Seven of Nine asked looking Kathryn in the eye and once again making Kathryn feel like she was about to be dissected.

"We would die trying and that wouldn't help you." Janeway said back shot back, refusing to back down from in the face of Seven of Nine's threat.

"You are small and you think is in small terms." Seven said, then she stopped mid speech as if to hear something from someone who wasn't there. "The situation has changed, we will adapt to your procedure," Seven said quickly, " Follow us, a station has been prepared for your work." Seven said, walking off down the hallway of Borg alcoves and both Janeway and Tuvok fallowed followed in her wake.

"Well this is going well." Janeway said sarcastically to Tuvok "What's that now, 3 threats of assimilation in one day? That must be some kind of record!"

"Indeed Captain, although I believe that there was five". Tuvok said with a rise lift of his eyebrow.

"Was that a joke Tuvok? I think you been speeding to much time around Neelix, what am I going to tell T'Pel when we get home, that her husband as developed a sense of humour?" Janeway asked, teasing her old Vulcan friend.

"If you interned interpreted what I said as humorous, I leave that completely to your interpretation." Tuvok told her impassive. "As for any prolonged periods of time spent in the company of Mr. Neelix, as Lieutenant Paris might say you try evading him. In the time I have known Mr. Neelix he has time and again tried to compromise my logic, a futile endeavour I ashore assure you." Tuvok said as they moved past more expressionless drones doings there their daily work.

"O Oh really, logic like trying to talk down a Borg drone intent on making a weapon powerful enough to kill a star system." Janeway said as quietly as she could so as not to be over herd my overheard by the drones. "I mean we didn't even know they had that capability to gather intel. I know Tuvok if they ever desired to use that or something even worse on the Federation there would be no stopping them." Janeway told him honestly as the true power of the Borg Collective revealed itself, much like an iceberg there was always more under the surfers surface. "Did you notice how she just stoped stopped mid speech like that? I thought that the neuro-link was constantly steaming data right into their drone's brains?" Kathryn wondered aloud, trying to keep track of what they'd been learning while in a sea of drones.

"We sure of nothing where the Borg are concerned Captain." Tuvok told her, though he appeared thoughtful. "Perhaps Species 8472 have had a significant victory adjust against the Borg in some outer other area of space?" he suggested evenly.

"Maybe." Janeway considered what he said, catching sight of Seven of Nine, again waiting from for them by a large Borg laboratory "I wonder who she was?" she asked quietly.

"I presume you mean Seven of Nine?" Tuvok answered, peering at both his friend and the drone woman in turn. He could not really explain he felt what humans would call déjà vu, somehow this drone woman seemed familiar to him but could not place her so he dismissed the thought.

"Well yes. I can't help it but I'm curious, I mean she looks human we short well sort of." Janeway said, trying off not know not knowing what to say, it was diffract discerning difficult to discern any drone's previous race as they all looked vastly the same but with Seven of Nine, Kathryn couldn't contently satisfactorily explain it to herself, it was more like a feeling that at one stage this drone had once been human.

"Indeed she was likely human at some time in her life but was assimilated." He said reasonable reasonably, "The Borg would likely draw the comparison to Captain Picard as when you suggested an ambassador and they would logically believe that you meant a former human." Tuvok said.

"You have arrived at your designated working area." Seven of Nine informed them, "You will now aid us in contacted conducting tests and creating a template for designing for our modified weapon." Seven of Nine stated.

"Right let's get stated." Janeway said.

They worked alone alongside Seven of Nine as they went two in into perfecting an effect effective weapon design and the work and the alliance was progressing well. Seven of Nine allowed them to cumulate communicate with Voyager every half hour and Chakotay told them that they had travelled around 12 light years and yet another Borg system which did not full the her fill Kathryn with confidence but as long as they were heading in the right direction she was able to put her fear somewhat to rest although in Chakotay's last communication he had told her that Kes's visions had intensified over the last few hours. Kathryn was reading some information on how to increase the modified photo photon torpedo damage capability when she saw Seven of Nine working at a nearby console when and curiosity got the better of her. She approached the Borg who was completed engrossed in their joined joint work.

Kathryn spoke up and asked Seven of Nine the question that had been buzzing away in her mind for over 4 hours since she and Tuvok had first met the drone woman. "You're human aren't you?" she murmured sadly.

"This body was assimilated 18 years ago using your time as a reface reference. It stopped been human at that time. We are Borg" Seven of Nine stated not even taking her eyes of eyes off the information she was typing into the console.

"I'm curios curious as to who were you before…." Janeway asked started to ask but before she could complete her sentence Seven of Nine turn turned to face her sharply. Her face was completely devoid of all emotions.

"You will not engage this drone in irrelevant conversation. Need we remind you that any attempted duplicity or sabotage will be punishable with assimilation?" Seven informed her coolly.

'No you don't need to remind me of that.' Janeway thought bitter bitterly to herself "I wasn't trying to deceive you. I was just curios curious is all, don't the Borg have curiosity?" Janeway asked nonchalantly.

"Curiosity is flawed and irreverent emotion. We have known no need for it." Seven of Nine told her coolly, turning from her work for a moment to look at the human captain.

"If you don't have curiosity then how why do you explore the galaxy?" Janeway asked, shocked that any race even the Borg could have no curiosity, her mind railed.

"We do not explore space in your manner. When a Species, event or element is discovered or the knowledge of it has been assimilated, we seek to our perfection, just as we add temped attempted to add Species 8472 to our perfection when we discovery discovered their realm." Seven stated.

"You started this war?" Janeway asked, shocked by this revelation and taking a few steps back, nearly bumping into another drone.

"Correct." Seven of Nine confirmed coolly. Then Seven of Nine stop stopped dead as did most of the outer other drones then they began working overtime at ever every nearby console. Even Seven of Nine pushed past Captain Janeway to start typing in the console she she'd just left.

"What's happening?" Janeway demanded, then as if in answer the whole cube lurched to one side make her grape grasp on to a nearby Borg alcove to stop herself from falling over. A deep wailing noise pieced the hot stagnate air with its cry.

"We are under attack." Seven said simply, hurrying over to yet enough another computer as Kathryn and Tuvok were pushed out of the way by drones. They seemed to be taking apart the whole chamber.

**Voyager Bridge **

The last few hours had not been uneventful as they fallowed followed the Cube that had Captain Janeway and Lt Cmdr. Tuvok as every crewmember was on highest alert for the smallest sign of trouble or betrayal from the Borg. Even know though they seemed to be moving from Borg system to Borg system the Collective seemed to be truly holding up their end of the alliance and this surprised no one more than Chakotay who despite the ship's reasonably good progress was still waiting for the penny to drop.

Chakotay had spent hours on the pressure cooker that had once been the Bridge, only leaving once to check on Harry's progress with the Doctor, who was less than happy about the prospect of being used as a sacrificial lamb but like Chakotay was trying to reassure some of the more nervous crewmembers. Other that that, Chakotay was stuck stewing in his own nerves waiting for the sting of betrayal that had not yet come, hoping against hope that they would all survive it when that sting finally struck. He was broken free from his doom riddled but well-founded introspection by a groan from Kes. He looked at the young Ocampan woman, who was usually so cheerful and serene but was now pale and sweaty, looking sick to her stomach.

"Kes are you shore you're right sure you're alright?" he asked, concerned. "You don't look well." Chakotay told her kindly not wishing to insult to poor woman. God only knew what it was like have Species 8472 pop into you head any time they wanted and show you horrors beyond imagination.

"I'm fine, it's just that the visions are getting stronger all the time." Kes stated hotly, almost angrily. "I need constriction concentration in order to keep Species 8472 out of my mind." she added her voice getting tenser.

"Duse it works Does it work like that?" Tom asked looking from the Nav to their friend with worry in his baby blue eyes.

"I'm not shore sure Lieutenant this is defect different from any metal power I have ever come arose across." Kes said, her voice raising more then she had intended. She knew was expressing far more anger in recent day than she had ever shown in her three years on Voyager but she could help it the visions grew worse and worse by the minute.

"I don't think I have ever seen you angry before." Tom added quietly and mostly to himself, not wanting to raze raise Kes's or Chakotay's stress levels any higher.

Then the turbo lift doors opened to reveal Harry Kim who stepped on to the bridged Bridge. "Ensign Kim reporting for duty Commander." Harry said addressing Chakotay with a salute.

"Harry it's good to see you, please take your station." Chakotay said with a restrained smile he was glade glad to see Harry up and about again but now was not the time for distractions.

"So what did I miss?" Harry asked B'Elanna, who was still behind the operations station. Then he looks to the view scene looked at the view screen to see the Borg cube 15 times the size of Voyager that they seemed to be flying alongside. ""Or do I not want to know?" Harry added quietly as the colour drained from his now healed face.

"Well here here's the long and short of it Starfleet." B'Elanna said, getting a broad smile from Harry in return at her use of the old pet name she had giving given him in year one. "We made a deal with the Borg to give them the nano- probe treatment the Doc gave you which can apparently hurt or destroy those Species 8472 bastards that attacked us. O Oh and the Captain and Tuvok are over on that thing." she said pointing the massive cube. "They're working on our side of the deal and in turn the Borg are going to escort us out of their space." B'Elanna explained grimly, finning filling Harry in on everything he'd missed, she was surprised that the chatter box outer wise otherwise known as the Doctor had not filled Harry in.

"I see." Harry said taking it all in "One question?" he asked to everyone in genial general.

"Yes?" Tom asked, not one to let and an opportunity to lessen the stale tension that had filled the bridge for the better part of the day.

"How many ways can this go wrong?" Harry asked quilty.

"Too many to court Ensign." Chakotay stated hotly, get getting distracted by the conversation and wanting to put an end to it using particularly authoritarian tone of voice.

"Of course sir." Harry said apologetic apologetically, then, looking at both Tom and B'Elanna in turn, mouthed 'what up whit with him?'

"Commander I'll head down to Engineering now that Harry's is better." B'Elanna said, then added only to Harry quietly, "Oh one last thing" she said mockingly "you still got a tendril up your nose." B'Elanna added a wicked smirk passed on her face then left for the turbo lift.

"Comm…..ander" Kes said suddenly breaking her long held silence.

"Kes?" Chakotay asked look deeply concerned, his eye been being drawn from the black and silver slab sided cube on the view screen to look at Kes again. If it was possible she looked even worse than before, the entire colour had drained from her face and she had a small nose bleed.

"They….co…ming…..they…are…. HERE!" Kes said brokenly then started screaming "DEATH ITS ALL! DEATH BURING BRINGING DARKNESS! WE ALL GOING TO DIE!" she cried and started to spasm in her chair.

"Get her to sick bay now and keep are a guard on her, and get me the Captain now!" Chakotay ordered as the crew rushed about to comply with his orders.

**The Battle **

Before anyone one could raze the Captain they all saw the Bio-ships of Species 8472 flying out of want what looked like an angry wound in space.

There were dozens of them, must most were like the one they had battled in the Borg debris field. Others were much bigger instead of the three prongs and the front there were eight closely pack packed together and much longer with less streamline streamlined bodies. The space around these huge monster ships shimmed crackle with barely concealed power. The Borg fleet around the system started to engage Species 8472 ships in the largest battle Chakotay had ever seen. There must have been hundreds of Borg ships and almost as many Bio ships, as the battle raged both fleets torn tore each apart without mercy. Thought Though the Species 8472 seemed to have the edge in fire power and speed over the huge Borg vessels not everything went Species 8472 way. They lost a few ships here and there but it was clear the Borg would loss lose the battle as know now hundreds of Borg crafts burned in the void.

A ball focuses of focused energy at the front of one the monster ships shot out a long beam of terrible light. It was so instance intense that it even out shone the distinct distant star of this system. For a few nail bighting biting minutes nothing happed then cracks started to appear on the planet's surface. The whole crew of Voyager could see that the planet was cracking up as huge fires erupted, making the Borg world look even more like a literal hell as fire consumed the billions of drones on the planet. Then this dead world started to literal suck itself apart then eruption erupt in an explosion that was consuming ever thing everything in its wake. Voyager was latched onto again buy by the Borg cube that held Captain Janeway and Tuvok on board. They started moved at reckless speed away from the explosion that had was ripping apart what was left of the Borg fleet as the bio ships hunted down the Borg crafts that had survived.

Even as Voyager and the escort cube raced away from the explosion as fast as possible it was clear they were not going to out run it entirely. Then two outer other cubes which had held back from the battle used them self's themselves as sacrificial shields to save Voyager and their sister ship from the explosion. Their sacrificial allow there their sister ship to open up a trans-warp conduit away from the explosion and both Voyager and there their companion ship made it into the trans-warp conduit by the skin of their teeth. One of the smaller bio-ships fallowed followed them in and started firing its beam weapon on Voyager hitting them but the Borg cube moved to shield Voyager from the worst of the attack using itself as an outer another sacrificial shield. For a brief moment in the exchange of fire between Voyager, the Borg cube and the bio ship Voyager's shield failed. The ship and crew were batted buy by yet more explosions coming from the Borg cube but they did not stop. Voyager continued to build speed even as the Borg ship rammed itself into the bio-ship, exploding and taking the bio-ship with it. The Cube exploded in a huge fire ball but fortunately Voyager was far enough ahead of the explosion to escape to worst of the blast but without the cube maintaining the trans-warp conduit it soon spate spat Voyager at an unbelievable speed as the conduit closed behind them.

**Voyager **

All over Voyager as the lights and consoles that had shorted out or exploded came back to life all of crew started to pick themselves up. They helped their more injured friends to the sick bay which soon overflowed with the injured. Those crew members who were well enough soon set to work fixing everything that had been racked wrecked on the ship.

"Damage report!" Chakotay order ordered to anyone who was still alive. Fortunately as the lights started to flicker on and his people started to pick them self's themselves up, must most with nothing worse than some bad scaped badly scraped and torn skin but they would live.

"Shields are fried commander." Lieutenant Craig Foster said from behind Tactical "I'm starting to get reports back from department heads, no KIA's yet thank god." He exclaimed "But some people have got pity bagged pretty banged up and are heading for the sick bay and our weapon systems are complete completely down" Foster finished.

"As soon as we are able get the weapons fixed. I don't want to be court caught with our shorts down when the Borg or Species 8472 show up again." Chakotay ordered as he put a bandage on a morning Tel Celes broken arm.

"Yes sir." Foster replied who then started issuing orders down the com and typing done some information into the Tactical console.

"Tom what are our flight options?" Chakotay asked, sending the Celes down to sick bay with the rest of the injured.

"Not good Commander, according to this one of our port engines got hit and we we're leaking plasma and we only have warp 5 or 7 at the most right know now. B'Elanna's going to have a hissy fit." Tom told him earnestly.

"She is not the only one." Chakotay told him "Harry, how are our sensors?" Chakotay asked, looking back at Harry who now had a large cut on his forehead.

"Our modified long range seniors are completely gone, but short range ones are fine for now. I did pick up some wired weird readings from the Borg cube before it exploded." Harry said before he could think about what he was telling the Commander. His face drained of all colour when the penny dropped.

Chakotay swore loudly making may many of the crew on the bridge jumped jump. Many had never heard their Commander so much as utter a swear word in over 3 years or more, even his former Maquis crewmembers looked shocked. "We didn't get Captain Janeway or Tuvok before that cube exploded." Chakotay said solemnly, letting the triage truth sink deep into his heart.

"Com…Commander" Croaked a voice over the com link, Chakotay recognised it as Tuvok voice even if it was distorted buy by static.

"Tuvok?" he exclaimed "Is that you? Is the Captain with you?" Chakotay asked, relief filling his heart as hope began to rise in him.

"Ye…yes Commander, but were we're not alone, a number of Borg drones have transported with us. We are in cargo bay 2." Tuvok stated brokenly before he fell into silence.

"Borg drones!" he exclaimed in shock "This day keeps on getting better" Chakotay said sarcastically then hear heard a new voice entered enter the com. This voice was cold and monotone but clear clearly female.

"Your crew members have been damaged. We sagest suggest you retrieve them for medic treatment." said the new cold icy voice that sent a shiver up his spine and chilled everyone of on the bridge to their core.

"I am assuming I assume I'm talking to the Borg liaison? Chakotay asked hotly.

"Correct." came the cold replier. She replied coldly.

"Now you listen here, if you harm either of my crewmembers in any way or a single drone steps a foot outside that cargo bay I swear that I'll blow you all out into space." Chakotay informed the drone on the other end of the com, his own tone deadly serious.

"Understood. You will retrieve your crewmembers now." the voice said back then the com went dead.

Chakotay pressed his com barged badge without a second of hesitation. "This is Commander Chakotay to call all crewmembers on deck 8 or near the cargo bays, begin evacuation procedures immediately." He ordered, "Security team alpha meet me at cargo bay two and come fully armed. Tom you have the bridge." Chakotay ordered a shell shocked Tom Paris who nodded absently.

**Cargo bay 2**

It did didn't take long for either Chakotay or the Security team to arm them self themselves and get to cargo bay 2. As Chakotay and the Security team entered the cargo bay, what they saw chilled them to their core. There were at least 8 Borg drones in the process of assimilating the cargo bay, putting in all manner of devices, as but the drones completely ignored them completely.

Chakotay finally saw both Kathryn and Tuvok line lying down on the floor in the centre of the cargo bay. Both looked the worse for wear but only Kathryn had any major looking injuries, there was a large red gash across her scup. Chakotay and the Security team rushed to their crew member's side crewmembers' sides, still aiming their weapon at ever every drone in sight especially, the tall female drone who seemed to be standing guarded over their wounded commanders.

"Lower your weapons. We are here at your Captain's request." the female drone said in a approaching commanding voice as she approached Chakotay slowly.

"Commander, the Captain and Tuvok are alive but the Captains Captain's in bad shape." Lieutenant Ayala said nervously, having scanned both unconscious of them, looking from the tall terrifying drone woman back to Chakotay.

"What did you do to her?" Chakotay accusing accused angrily, trying to stare down the drone woman.

"We did nothing to your Captain." The drone told him. "Captain Janeway was hit by power serge a power surge when our vessel was attacked by the Species 8472 weapon. We suggest that you take them to your medical officer." the drone stated.

"Ok then." Chakotay replied shortly, peering at the drone, he nodded to his team as they picked up both the Captain and Tuvok and moved them out of the way. "Well, I guess we're going to be working together for the time being." Chakotay remarked, looking back to the drone, who he noticed was only slightly shorter than himself.

"Indeed these events have changed nothing. We do however require time to fully assess all information so as to continue this alliance." the drone said told him.

"Well, if that's the case I'm…." Chakotay was saying.

"Commander Chakotay, first officer of Federation starship Voyager." she said, interrupting him, "We know who you are." the drone coolly stated.

"How did you…?" Chakotay asked, puzzled and concerned.

"We are Borg." the drone interrupted him again.

"Right. What's your designation?" Chakotay asked, peering at the drone woman how peered at him right back in an unblinking stare. Her one real eye was cold and malevolent.

"We are Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 you may call us Seven of Nine. We speak for the Borg." Seven on nine of Nine informed him.

"Very well Seven of Nine I guess I won't need to tell you or your drones that if any of you step outside this cargo bay or interfere with any of Voyager's systems I will decompress this interior entire deck." Chakotay stated evenly, taking the higher ground making shore the Drone sure the drone knew the ground rules.

"You already stated this condition." Seven of Nine stated coolly.

"Right, well we we'll talk soon then." Chakotay told her.

"Correct, we must continue this alliance." Seven of Nine stated before turning about face and walking off to aid the other drones in the assimilate of the cargo bay. She singlehandedly lifted a large metal beam they must have brought with them. She lifted the beam over her head and attached it to celling using some kind of blocky implant on her left arm as welder.

Chakotay turned about face and left the cargo by to then ordered bay to order that the decks above and below be evacuated. The Then he order told extra Security staff to position them self's themselves at each junction. Security team alpha had already moved the Captain and Tuvok to sickbay all at that time Janeway and left their commanding offices alone to talk with the Doctor.

**Sick bay**

"What's the prognosis Doctor?" Chakotay asked, approaching the stricken Doctor who was looking over the medical information he had scanned from his latest patients.

"Lieutenant Tuvok is still unconscious. He had a severe conclusion and minor internal bleeding." the Doctor told him, "But I have treated his injuries and he should be with us before the day is out." He said, looking up from the console.

"And what about Kathryn?" Chakotay asked nervously, knowing the Doctor would save the worst for last.

"She's conscious." He told the Commander quietly, "But her recovery is going to be a lot rougher then Tuvok's. She has server severe brain swelling, a punctured lung, server severe internal bleeding and 3ed 3rd degrees to her upper neck and crest chest. She's lucky to be alive Commander. She wants to talk to you but you have to make it brief" the Doctor told him with a concerned and compassionate voice, his aged and lined face looking even older.

Chakotay nodded to the Doctor then walked over to a frail looking Kathryn whose body was mostly coved covered by a sheet and he suddenly got a flash back flashback to his mother's slow and agonising death in the hospital on Dorvan V. With supreme effort he pushed the dark memories away as they were not going to help him or anyone else. "Captain." he said, low enough to be herd heard by her but not loud enough to be overheard buy by the hovering Doctor.

"Chakotay…" Janeway croaked, "They will threaten you, they will insult you but they need you, us." she said her voice getting week "jett….jet get…get thisss crew hooome that's an order coo…coo." Her voice taring trailed off, barely able to be herd heard as tears flowed from her eyes. She then weakly garaged grabbed him and brought him closer to her so his ear was right next to her mouth. "Don't be the Fox." she croaked.

"I won't Captain." Chakotay promised, taking her hand away from his face as gently as possible and placing it by her side.

"I'm sorry Commander but I need to sedate her now." the Doctor said quietly. Chakotay only nodded to the hologram who then pressed a hypo spray into Janeway's neck and delayed dialled commands into the monitor, activating the advanced examination tools built into the bio bed that closed around her like a coffin. Allowing the Doctor to start the medical treatments needed to save her life. Chakotay then approached Kes who was treating Tuvok on the far side of the sick bay.

"How are you going doing Kes?" he asked gentry seen gently, seeing her jump at his speech. "I half expect you to be in a bio bed yourself." Chakotay said keeping is voice kindly so not to scare the young Ocampan woman any more. She looked terrible, as far from her normal presteen self as was possible. There were dark rings around her eyes and she was still sweating and looked down right ill.

"I'm fine Commander the visions stopped just after we left the battle." Kes said nervously looking away from the sleeping Tuvok and down at her feet.

"That's good. If you need any time off or if you just need someone to talk to about whatever they have been showed showing you just let me know." Chakotay told her gently, putting a her fatherly hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"Thank you Commander I will." She said, looking up from the floor to give him a sheepish smile. "They showed me such terrible things." she told him.

"I am sorry you had to go thought through all this Kes." He told her honestly, taking his hand away. "but I need to know if Species 8472 able to lean were able to learn anything from you?" Chakotay asked kindly.

"Commander I would never betray Voyager." Kes stated fiercely, shocked and gaining some colour back.

"I know that you wouldn't under normal circumstances but we are not dealing with normal circumstances are we?" Chakotay told her in an understanding voice.

"No Commander we aren't." Kes shied "It is very possible that they do know about our alliance with the Borg and the nano-probe weapon. I can't be shore sure. They seem more interested in showing me what they intend to do than reading my mind but I just don't know Commander….. I'm sorry." Kes said in defeat, the agony cursed caused by her visions taking their toll.

"None of this is your fault Kes." He re-shored reassured her kindly "But I need to know what they have shown you so far?" Chakotay asked quietly.

"From what I have been able pieced together, they come from a realm so defect different from our own it might as well be night to day. Where they come from they are all alone know No one else lives there." Kes stated in a small voice.

"A parallel universe, maybe defeat a different dimension, could you tell?" Chakotay asked, intrigued but not wanting to stress Kes any more than he had to Voyager needed all the information they could get at the moment.

Kes shock shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Commander, I just can't tell." Kes said sadly, she didn't want to let the crew down when they needed her the most.

"That's all right Kes." Chakotay replied but he shined still sighed slightly, "What about any plans they may have for our universe?" He asked, putting more encouragement into his words.

"That unfortunately I do know" she said bitterly looking down to the floor again "They see us as week weak and inferior, unworthy, a threat to their purity." she told him, looking up from the floor as anger burned in her eyes. "I have never felt such cold hate before Commander they have to be stopped. We have to stop them because if we don't they will burn this whole galaxy to ash." Kes said, completely serious.

"Thank you Kes you been a great help." he told her kindly. "Stay and help the Doctor as much as you can but if you start feeling anything inform me immediately." Chakotay told her before him lapsing into silence troubled thought as he conceded he lapsed into silence, troubled as he considered what Kes had told him. He left Kes's side and walked to the door, taking one last look over his shoulder at Kathryn and Tuvok still on their respective bio beds then he left before leaving.

"Yes Commander." Kes started to gather medical tools to help the Doctor. She watched the Commander leave sickbay for parts unknown. For the first time since she'd known him the Commander looked at a loss as to what to do. For her to see the reserved Commander Chakotay unsure was just as troubling as the visions of death and destruction or having Borg drones on bored board. She surprised a shudder and when to help the Doctor Captain Janeway injures. She suppressed a shudder and went to help the Doctor with Captain Janeway's injuries.

**Voyager **

When Chakotay walked out of sick bay he called the senior staff and department heads, excluding those in the sick bay, for an emergency staff meeting; partly to know how the repairs were going and also the statues status of the Borg drones. The briefing was short and to the point, the repairs were going very well and the ship was known now on its way again, moving at warp 6.5 to the alpha quadrant. Most if not all the injured crew members had been treated including Tuvok who had walked into the staff meeting after checking in on the security teams assigned to keeping an eye on the Borg drones and checking to make shore sure the drones had not hacked into any of the ship's vital systems.

Tuvok informed the senior staff that the drones had not moved beyond the cargo bay as instructed and other than accessing the crew manifest and drawing some power from the main systems they had not been active. Harry reported that using that Borg trans-warp corroder had worked in Voyager's favour, haven having cut 200 light years off the journey but they were still in Borg space with no real clue on way out. Even so neither the Borg nor Species 8472 had shown up yet but how long that might last was anyone's guess as most of the senior staff filed out accepted except for Tuvok and Chakotay.

Chakotay watched the door to the briefing room close, leaven leaving him alone with Tuvok. He let out a long suffering shin been sigh, being at a loss as to what to do next. "So how are you doing Tuvok?" Chakotay asked, taking a deep breath and try trying not let his fears get the better of him even as he sensed something terrible was about to happen.

"I am fine Commander and the Captain is still in surgery." Tuvok said knowing that was that would be the next question from Chakotay.

"Thank you Tuvok." Chakotay said with a shied glade sigh, glad that Tuvok had cut out the middle man but sill the over whelming feeling of dried still darken is thought. "So how far did you get with the Borg on the weapon?" he asked thinking, he might as well know.

"The Captain alongside myself and our Borg allies were in the process of designing a prototype when Species 8472 attacked." Tuvok told him impassive impassively. "Do you wish me to continue working with them?" Tuvok asked, razing and raising an eye brow.

"Maybe…..Tuvok I just don't wont know what to do." he admitted tiredly rubbing hid over worked eyes. "We're trapped smack dab in the middle of Borg space, which as we speak is been torn apart in some senseless war between the Borg and these Species 8472. Kathryn might yet die from her injury's injuries, Kes is been tormented by these aliens visions and we have Borg drones on bored board. Have I left anything out?" Chakotay asked, exasperated as the hull whole situation hit home and sunk in for the first time.

"I believe that is an accurate summary of our current situation." Tuvok said evenly. "But this crew has faced and beaten similar situations before but if Kes visions are accurate there is more at stack stake in this conflict then just the fate of Voyager and her crew." Tuvok told him.

Chakotay looked up at his Vulcan friend and couldn't help but think back to 3 years ago when they had constantly butted heads on matters of discipline and protocol. "But how am I going to work with these drones Tuvok? We both know as soon as they get those nano probes they will turn on us." He told Tuvok with a shy sigh, "They always do." he said quietly.

"You are referring to your encounter with the Co-operative and the former drones under their banner." Tuvok stated "That prejudice, though well founded, is compromising your logic Commander. The simple fact of the matter is we have no choice but to aid the Collective in the conflict with Species 8472. If we do not they will take the information we possess by force. If we delay Voyager could be destroyed by Species 8472 and without the Collective's protection or resources we may not reach to the edge of the territory intact." Tuvok told him.

"So we we're stuck between a rock and a hard place." Chakotay sated fallowing concluded, following the older man's flawless logic. 'Damned if we do and damned if we don't.' He thought bitterly, a fine mess they had found themselves in.

"Indeed." Tuvok said simply.

"Right then here's what we do. I do everything in my power to get Voyager out of this spot in one piece, and if that been means working with those drones then so be it, but I'm not going to let them take advantage of us in any way shape or form and we can deal with the consequences as they rear their heads." Chakotay stated firmly. "What I need you to do is check and recheck all of Voyager's systems to make shore sure we have not been double crossed but if you find anything tell me immediate immediately, is that understood?" Chakotay told the impassive Vulcan man.

"Of chose course Commander." Tuvok said.

"Right, I'll see what our guests are up to." Chakotay said, digging deep into his own resolve. He would do what he needed then would save the ship and so be it, alliance or not.

With that Chakotay and Tuvok left the briefing room, Chakotay for cargo bay 2 ,the hopeful hopefully temporary home of 8 Drones, and Tuvok went to re-re check all of Voyager's systems.

**Cargo Bay two**

Chakotay entered the Cargo bay with a Security team armed to the teeth at his back. When they did step stepped inside none of them could have been blamed for thing thinking they had stepped into a Borg cube as the whole of the Cargo bay had now been fully assimilated. Each wall had on less than 6 alcoves with drones stepping of line of sight down from them and then walking about to complete whatever tasks the hive mind had set them to. They had also installed huge computer screens which displayed unreadable Borg information along with outer technology's that bathed the entire bay in vile green light. The air was hot and close, the atmosphere drew a sweat from those who entered this foreboding place.

Chakotay could not surprise suppress a shiver at the scene and active activity around him but with supreme effort he was able to put the distressing sight of all this Borg technology to the back of his mind, instead looking for the drone woman Seven of Nine and finding her standing perfectly still in one of the buzzing alcoves. Her face was completely still intel until she seemed to sense Chakotay's approved approach and her one real eye snapped open and she effetely effortlessly stepped from the tall machine and approved approached Chakotay.

"Commander Chakotay." she stated as a way of greeting. " Where is your Captain?" Seven of Nine asked.

"Captain Janeway is indisposed at the moment." Chakotay said, not wanting to reveal the Captain's static status to the drone. Though he believed the drone would already know "You're going to work with me now." Chakotay informed her coolly.

"Understood." Then a moment went by were nothing was said, "Circumstances have changed." Seven of Nine stated.

"I'd say that was an understatement." Chakotay said sarcastically but Seven of Nine had no reaction to his sarcasm, not that he expected her to have one.

"We must modify our agreement." Seven of nine told him impassive. She told him impassively.

"I have been given that some though thought." He told her coolly. "I'm willing to let you stay on board and we will continue to work with you to complete the weapon. Once Voyager and her crew are safely out of Borg space we will give you the nano probes. Then we can shake hands and part company." As Chakotay told her that however, this time he did get a reaction from Seven of Nine as her real eye seemed narrow ever so slightly.

"Insufficient. According to our latest tactical projection, the Borg will be irreparably damaged and this conflict lost by that time." Seven of Nine reported darkly then walked past him and the security team to dial commands into a Borg console which then translated the reels of Borg tactical and statistical information into something Chakotay could understand. Seven of Nine then spoke again as she looked away from the screen and back at him, staring directly into his eyes. "There is a Borg vessel approximately 40 light years from our current position. You will reverse course and take us to it."

"Even at maximum warp that would be a five day trip in the wrong direction." Chakotay told her hotly, not willing to be bullied by the drone woman to step right into what could only be a trap. "Voyager is meant to be heading out of Borg space not deeper into it." Chakotay said keeping his cool, he could not letting this drone threating let this drone threaten his crew.

"There are is no alternative." Seven of Nine stated, "You will comply." she ordered.

Chakotay felt anger boil inside him at her response. "I will do no such thing." he exclaimed hotly. "I willing work with you and honour our original agreement but I will not turn this ship around, understand me? It's too dangerous!" Chakotay told her uncompromisingly.

"Refusing our request is also dangerous." Seven said, her voice as cold as ice as all the drones stoped stopped what they were doing and turned to look vacantly at Chakotay and the Starfleet officers around him.

"Don't think you can bully me Seven of Nine, this isn't my first time dealing with drones." Chakotay told her, not backing down. Then the other drones stopped staring and went back to work as if nothing had happened.

"Very well. We saw will adhere to our agreement with you." Seven of Nine stated in a voice so cold that Chakotay almost believed the temperature of the cargo bay had dropped at least 10 degrees.

"Good." He said, then he pulled a pad out of his pocket and presented it to Seven of Nine. "This is information on the Bio ship Voyager in counted encountered, you might find something useful in it." Chakotay told head her, handing the drone woman the pad. Seven grabbed the pad and rapidly read the texts.

"This information will aid us in creating an effective weapon design." Seven of Nine stated, taking a step back from the Commander. Just then Chakotay's com badge beeped, which he then taped tapped, drawing Seven of Nine's attention back to him.

"Kes to Commander Chakotay." Her tired voice came over the com.

"What is it Kes?" Chakotay asked worried.

"You told me to tell you if I had any more visions from Species 8472." Kes said.

'Now's not the best time Kes.' Chakotay thought, glancing at the impassive and un-moving Seven of Nine. "What did you see?" he asked pensively.

"They know everything Commander, I couldn't stop them!" She cried out hurriedly, her panic and distress obvious.

"Kes…Kes slow down, what do they know?" Chakotay asked as he suddenly felt ever cold.

"They know about Voyager, the alliance and nano-probe weapon and they're coming. I don't know when they will be here but they are coming for us." Kes said, her panic getting the better for of her. "I'm so sorry Commander, I wasn't strong enough." she said.

"Kes, none of that is your fault, you hear me?" Chakotay told her but the only response he got was the cut of the com from the outer other end. Dread piecing his heat he looked at the still form of Seven of nine and he knew he was going to regrets his next words. "Where did you say those Borg vessels were?" Chakotay asked shortly, hating himself for not only losing face to the drone but being forced to rely on the Borg for anything.

For a moment Seven of Nine didn't respond, her one clear real eye glassed glazed over then snapped back to normal, well normal for her. "Those vessels have been destroyed. 60,000 drones deactivated, 27 Borg vessels destroyed…" Seven of Nine stated coolly. "We must have those nano-probes now, all outer other options are ineffective. You will give us the technology." she commanded.

"No, what I need to do is get this ship out of here before Species 8472 finds us and we deal with this alliance later." Chakotay told her before making to leave cargo bay but his and Security team's way out were bard buy was barred by drones.

"You will give us the technology or you will be assimilated." Seven of Nine told him.

Chakotay turned to face the drone woman, feeing old anger rise in him. "You do that and my crew will decompresses decompress this entire deck and we will all die. What's it to be Seven of Nine?" he asked her hotly.

"We will give you 72 of your Earth hours to comply with our request. Even if your crew were to disable these drones WE will retrieve the technology." Seven of Nine told him coolly. She then sharply broke eye contact with him and turned about face, walking back to the far side of the cargo bay.

**Voyager**

Chakotay and security team left the cargo bay behind. Chakotay made it to the Bridge just as Kes, who was now on the Bridge, had informed Tuvok about her vision. Then They soon detected an opening rife a rift opening in space that matched the readings made earlier when three Species 8472 bio ships entered though. Because of Kes's early warning, Voyager was able to evade the bio ships over the next day or so. Even with that insight there were some close calls, forcing Voyager to play cat and mouse with their hunters. They went into hiding by using an asteroid belt around a class 5 gas giant, even managing to trick the Bio ships into the planet's flammable atmosphere, and thanks to a few well aimed photon torpedoes, managed to destroy two of their hunters and severely damage the other so it could not follow.

Even as the crew was able to celebrate this small victory, the Borg's deadline was would soon come to a close and even if they managed to get rid of the drones in the cargo bay it would merely mean that Voyager and her crew would be in the exact same place as they were in when Captain Janeway had entered into the agreement with the Borg. Only this time it would be with two enemies hunting them down.

Chakotay was dis allusion to the whole fair now. If he acted against Seven of Nine and her drones, Voyager would lose any protection the Collective offered. But if he gave the drones what they wanted then there would be nothing to stop them from compromising Voyager. Fresh out of ideas as well as moves to make and with a crew on the edge, he was at the end of his rope with only one card left to play and hardly any time left to play it. He called a meeting of the senior staff, telling them that they would give the drones all the information they needed, then dump them on the nearest survivable, uninhabited planet and book it for the edge of Borg space. He told his friends and crewmates that he was convinced that this was the only option they had left. Though no one, including himself, wanted to go against Captain Janeway's orders, they all knew the stakes were just too high. Chakotay told them he would deal with any of the fallout when Janeway got back on her feet. As the crew left him alone his head sank into his hands and he let out a sigh of regret that he had to go against Kathryn's orders and break the alliance, but he had no choice.

"Tuvok…" he said, pressing his badge, "Could you bring Seven of Nine up hear here please? We might as well get this over with." he said in defeat.

"Of course Commander." Tuvok said over the com, impassive as ever, neither condemnation nor support. Chakotay took a long cleansing breath, stilling steeling himself for what he had to do for his crew.

**Ready room**

A few minutes later Seven of Nine and her guard entered the ready room. "Commander Chakotay." she said coolly, "You requested our peasants presence?" Seven on nine asked not baking her unblinking gaze. She asked detachedly, not breaking her unblinking gaze.

For the first time Chakotay saw Seven of Nine in all her dronish glory as she was no longer hidden in the half shadows of the cargo bay emulated visible only by vile green Borg light. Now all her black armour and implants were on display, emulated light by the stranded overhead lights emphasised by the standard overhead lights. He could better take in her deathly pail pale grey skin, not unlike that of a corpse, and the rest of her body with the greatest effect effort. He surprised suppressed a shudder as her image burned it way into his mind. "I wish to speak to you on our alliance" Chakotay replied, waiting to see any reaction at all from the drone but knowing one was unlikely.

"Proceed." Seven of Nine stated.

"I think it's in both our best intents interests to end this alliance." Chakotay told her evenly, trying to dispel the unease he felt in the drone woman's presence.

"Explain?" Seven of Nine asked, turn her head watching him walk about to get a pad she watched his every move turning her head to watch him walk about to get a pad, she was studying his every move.

"We are going to drop you of at the next uninhabited planet, give you the nano-probes and all the research we have and leave Borg space as fast as possible. You can wait for a Borg ship to pick you up." Chakotay said, 'And hope never to see each other again' he thought to himself.

" Unacceptable, we have an agreement." Seven of Nine stated.

"This isn't up for discussion. I'm not putting my crew in anymore danger than necessary, all other options are off the table." Chakotay said, staring her down. "Look, you're getting what you wanted I sagest suggest we part ways amicably." he finest firmly said, not backing down from Seven of Nine's imposing demeanour.

"There is another option. We could assimilate your vessel and crew." Seven said in an almost threatening manner.

"If any drone so much as steps one millimetre out of that cargo or interferes with our systems I will decompress the entire deck, you won't pose much of a threat floating in space, and if you call for help we will destroy all the information we have." Chakotay told her coolly. He watched her ever so slight reaction, if anything her gaze was more threatening than any of her voiced threats, one look into her ice cold sky blue eye and you could practically see the malevolent intelligence that held sway over this woman.

"When your Captain first approached us, we suspected an alliance with humans would be imposable impossible to maintain." she told him. "You are erratic, conflicted, disorganised, every decision is debated, every action questioned pointlessly. Every individual entitled to their own small opinion." she said, all pretence of alliance and compaction cooperation had left her words and were replaced with the Borg's cold, deathless deadly, dark logic and purpose. "You lake lack harmony, cohesion, purpose, perfection. It will be your undoing." Seven told him her word and voice as cold as ice and hear her face complete with completely void of reaction or emotion.

"Maybe, but at least we aren't puppets and the choice is ours not yours." He said in a brittle voice. "Escort our gest guest back to the cargo bay." Chakotay ordered her guard.

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Ayala said, "This way Miss" Ayala said to Seven of Nine calmly and politely, despite his sarcastic undertone, and they left without incident.

Chakotay let out the breath he had been holding and shied sighed to himself, disappointed that he had lost control of his emotions, he always prided himself on his control even in the worst of scenarios but this Seven of Nine seemed to be able to push his buttons in the most effective way.

He then left for sick bay to make his peace with Kathryn, he knew no matter what he did or why he did it she would not forgive him for breaking her trust. All he could hope for was that Kathryn would understand.

**Sickbay**

When Chakotay arrived he asked the Doctor for a prognosis and according to him the Captain was resting now, he had healed all of her most severe injures but she was still unconscious. The Doctor told him that he was hopeful that the Captain would make a full recovery but would not likely awaken for a few days yet. Chakotay then asked the Doctor to deactivate himself for a moment. The Doctor obliged leaving Chakotay alone with Kathryn.

Chakotay approached the bio-bed that held Kathryn who looked peacefully unaware of what was transpiring on Voyager, her body coved in a weight medic covered in a white sheet and some kind of medical tool held her head in place.

"Kathryn, I don't know if you can hear me but I hope you can." He began, "I'm sorry Kathryn but I had to break off the alliance with the Borg, they were demanding too much. It was one of the hardest decisions I have made in my life. Not because I went adjust against the orders of a superior officer and a Captain, not just because she is you are someone I respect and admire, but you're my friend. Kathryn, one of the best friends I have ever had and it burns me up to betray your trust like I have. But it had to be done and I am truly sorry. I can only hope you can understand that in time and that this crew needs you Kathryn." Chakotay said, holding her limp, cold hand. "I know your were right, nothing can ever happen between us and I have accepted that but I need my friend back." He said, placing the hand back to her side "Please come back." Chakotay told her in a low caring voice, his dark handsome face showing the weight of every year of his life as concern and worry winkled wrinkled his face. Then he reactivated the Doctor and left for the bridge, asking for a report on the Borg drones and their relocation.

**Voyager Bridge **

The bridge was almost in complete silence expect for the noise from the consoles. There was no talking, joking or good natured conversation made as the mood on Voyager worsened. The whole ship seemed to be holding its breath as a mood of grim foreboding left everyone on edge.

"The Borg drones have not made add temped attempted to leave the Cargo bay and we are nearly within beaming range of the L class moon Commander." Tuvok impassively informed Chakotay who was standing in the middle of the near silence silent bridge.

"I half expected them to put up a fight." Chakotay said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. Then the hull of the ship shook violently for a few moments, the lights and consoles flicked flickered, and Chakotay thought to himself 'me and my big mouth'.

**Cargo bay 2**

Seven of Nine walked up and down the dimly lit cargo bay she and her fellow drones had assimilated. The group were waiting for the human's current leader Commander Chakotay to transport them to a planet and give them the information on Species 8472 and the modified nano-probes that they had been promised. The Alpha Quadrant vessel and its crew were of no consequence to the Borg directives, all that mattered was that they gained the information required to create and deploy the weapons able to defeat Species 8472, or so the constant whisper from the Collective had informed their Unimatrix of drones. Just then though that cold, all-consuming whisper that Seven of Nine had known all of her life suddenly turned into a roar of information, making all the drones stop their activities.

**"Species 8472 has penetrated sector matrix 010 gird 19. Eight Borg planets destroyed, five unassimilated planets destroyed, 312 vessels destroyed, 234 vessels disabled and under repair. 400,621 drones eliminated." the outers others said. "Seize control of the alpha quadrant vessel designation federation star ship Voyager and take it into Species 8472's realm." the outers others commanded.**

**"Our link will be compromised. We will require aid to complete our task. The crew of Voyager are longer complying with our needs, state response." Seven of Nine and her temporally temporary Unimatrix queried.**

**"The crew of the alpha quadrant vessel designation federation star ship Voyager will adapt to fight the Species 8472 forces to inshore ensure their own survival." the others said. "Seven of nine tertiary adjunct of unimatrix 01 will activate the alpha quadrant vessel's deflector array and open a conduit to enter Species 8472's realm. The other Borg of sector 92 sub-junctions of 12 will interfere with the human systems to prevent the humans from interfering with this task." the Borg stated.**

**"Understood." Seven of Nine answered and her temporary Unimatrix went about their tasks to ensure the Collective's will would be done**.

Seven of Nine walked to a nearby hatch in the wall of the cargo bay as two outer other drones opened it for her. She climbed inside the Jefferies tube and clawed along the length of the Jefferies tube and found the circuits that would give her accesses to the deflector array, quickly programming the set of commands needed to open a rift into fluidic space. The others in her temporary Unimatrix overrode the security systems in a few moments with their superior Borg codes. The ship's deflector array soon began shooting out a huge green beam that ripped an angry hole in space then Voyager began to shack shake with the gravitational forces as they were been being pulled into a growing angry wound in space.

**Voyager Bridge**

"What the hell are they doing?" Tom asked no one in particular, staring at the view screen that showed a rift of boiling, shivering energy were where normal space had been before an all might almighty green beam had shoot shot out of Voyager's deflector array.

"They're using our deflector array to open a portal into some other area of space, I don't know what it is." Harry told the bridge crew.

"Can you override it?" Chakotay asked Harry.

"No Commander, I'm completely locked out." Harry told Chakotay as the he furiously tried in to enter commands into the non-responsive Operations console.

"Commander, that's the home realm of Species 8472." Kes stated suddenly.

"Tom, can you break us free?" Chakotay asked hotly as desperation stated to sink into his heart.

"No can do sir, the gravitational pull of that rift is pulling us in too quickly. It's all I can do to keep us stable." Tom hurried hurriedly told Chakotay as he tried every trick to keep Voyager out of the rift but all he was doing was prolonging the inevitable.

"This is Commander Chakotay to the drones in cargo bay two, stop what you're doing or I will decompress the cargo bay, this is your only warning." Chakotay told them, deamination stilling determination steeling his resolve.

"No response Commander." Tuvok told him.

"Do it." Chakotay commanded. Tuvok then entered in the code that would doom the drones to death.

**Cargo bay two**

**"The humans are about to decompress this area, we cannot override." the grope group of drones stated**.

"The Human threat is irrelevant, Seven of Nine adjunct of unimatrix 01 complete your task, activate void shielding. The Survival of Seven of Nine tertiary adjunct of unimatrix 01 is of paramount importance." the Collative Collective said and Seven of Nine complied.

Seven of Nine was informed of each of the other drones demise as they deactivated themselves or were ripped asunder by the violence of decompression and felt nothing for them. She however had problems of her own as the air was also being sucked out of the Jefferies tube. As she was dragged along the insides of the tube she activated her mage lock implants built into her feet and legs to stop herself but although it slowed her slide, she realised that without proper grip she would soon join the others in death. Though she did not care about her own survival in the slightest, this drone's survival was needed to ensure the Collective's victory. She gripped hold of metal hand holds built into the sides of the Jefferies tube using all of her enhanced strength and manoeuvred her legs to the lip of a metal beam to completely stall her movement. The last of the air was finally sucked out and gravity returned to normal. Seven of Nine knew she had succeeded in her task to enter the rift, as the voices of the others were altogether not quite the all-consuming white noise she had known all of her life. In fact now the Collective wasn't even a whisper, only the vaguest of murmurs resounded in her mind. For the first time in memory, she felt disconcerted, if she had been capable of allocating a flawed emotion to this sense it would've been fear.

**Bridge**

"Decompression cycle complete Commander." Harry said, holding on for dear life to his console as the ship was racked wracked by shaking so violent that the lights flicked on and off and consoles shorted out as Voyager was suck sucked headlong into the angry rift in space.

"Then why in hell are we still been pulled into that rift?" Chakotay asked angrily, holding on to a railing into until his hand went weight white from the grip.

"Commander there is one drone still active, I believe it is Seven of Nine." Tuvok said, reading off from the internal scans of the Cargo bay.

"God damn it!" Chakotay shouted as the ship was racked wracked by yet more violent shaking.

"We're going in! There's nothing we can do! If we try and fight this thing, the ship will be torn apart!" Tom yelled over the whine of short-circuiting computers and the blare of red alert.

Then, just as Tom said, Voyager was pulled fully into the rift which closed behind them as soon as Voyager went though. The picture on the view screen changed from the angry wound in space into a vast realm of defeat different shades of green, yellow and brown with vane a vague cloud like appearance as waves of pale yellow light radiated from all around Voyager. Voyager rocked ever so slightly like it was in a vast unending sea.

"What the hell?" Tom exclaimed as all the ships systems slowly came back to life as the colour drained from the faces of the bridge crew, who look stunned as they tried to comprehend their situation.

"B'Elanna, what are we looking at?" Chakotay asked, pressing his com badge so the whole bridge crew could hear.

"I'm not shore sure but I'm reading a faint low level energy coming from all around us." she said in puzzlement. "We are not in space. This is matter, organic matter." B'Elanna told them over the com.

"I don't know how this is even possible but I can't read any stars, planets, moons or anything." Tom told them as he typed in commands into the nav.

"How is that even possible?" Crewman Tal Celes asked, scared she was working as she worked on the large panel at the back of the bridge.

"It just is." Ensign William Cunanan, sighed as he continued working alongside the easy spooked Bajoran woman. He wasn't going to try an explain some as completed as dimensions science to and air head like her.

"Kes, are you sense sensing anything?" Tuvok asked.

"Yes Tuvok, we are in there their realm now. And they know we are hear here." Kes said in a somewhat dreamlike state which resulted in a lot of the bridge crew giving the Ocampan a look of worry and suspicion.

"Kes, are you felling feeling alright?" Harry asked nervously.

"Oh yes…yes, very good….. It's almost like been being in the womb. It's all kind of warm and close." Kes told them, smiling serenely as her voice became even dreamy and her light purple eyes glassed glazed over.

"Ok then." Tom added quietly.

"Commander, we're getting a communication from cargo bay two." Tuvok said.

"Let's hear it." Chakotay said with a shied sigh. 'This has got to be good' he thought bitterly.

"Commander Chakotay, we have entered the domain of Species 8472." Seven of Nine told them over the com.

"You don't say." Chakotay said, more than a little sarcastically.

"Your sarcasm is irreverent irrelevant." she said, drawing a puzzled expression from Chakotay as he thought, 'Since when does a drone know anything about sarcasm?' "We request you reinstate the atmosphere and the environmental systems for Cargo bay two and report to the cargo bay, we must now begin work on the weapons." Seven ordered then cut the com.

Chakotay grit his teeth and thought to himself, 'I really don't like that drone'. "We'll do as she says for now." Chakotay told Crew who then clicked the buttons needed to re-establish the cargo bay's environment systems. "Tuvok, you're with me." he ordered, "Commander Chakotay to security team alpha, meet myself and Lieutenant Tuvok at cargo bay two." Chakotay ordered over the com. Neither he nor Tuvok waited for the reply.

**Cargo bay 2**

Chakotay, Tuvok and the rest of the security team meet met outside cargo bay two then they entered it to find that it looked worse than the rest of the ship. Virtually all the Borg technology looked either broken or whined in protest to their continued existence, the entire room was dracker only a few green lights gave the vast cold cargo bay any light at all. The whole scene looked like a bomb had hit the cargo bay. Twisted and brunt burnt out equipment had been pulled from the walls and bits and pieces of Borg and Starfleet technology lay here and there. As well as what look like the grizzly remans of the unlucky drones that had tried to save themselves from the decompression. There was even a bit of an arm still hanging from a console and a foot still mag locked to the floor leaving blood to pool around them.

Chakotay, with great effort, tried to avoid looking at the gruesome scene, but his stomach still somersaulted with nausea as they progressed through the cargo bay. Despite knowing he'd done the right thing by his crew in dealing with the drones, he was sickened by the methods and means by which they had died. He could only try to console himself with the thought that at least in death they'd been freed from the Collective. That however was really scant comfort that did not ease his guilt, which even in his rage filled Maquis days had assaulted him every time he'd taken a life. He had been taught since earliest childhood that all life had meaning and should be valued, so he knew that despite saving his crew, or at least trying to, the guilt from killing these poor unfortunate souls would stay with him for some time yet. Chakotay's grim thoughts were broken as the one drone who had survived stepped out of the darkness like some vengeful spirit, determined to continue this damned alliance and bring them down with her Collective.

"Commander Chakotay." Seven of Nine said as if in greeting. Her voice was still ice cold but her face had seemed to changed, well at least her one real eyes had, it might have been the way the limited green lights played on her metal scared face. Chakotay considered might've been deceiving himself, but her eye wasn't quite as cold as it had been only a few hours before and it was no long longer quite as pin point and calculating. In fact it was almost wide as if she was afraid of something but he dismissed the thought.

"Would you mind telling me were where the hell what is going on?" Chakotay asked, trying not was sounding to sound angry but failing to do so.

"I am attempering to repair the damage done to this area that was infected buy affected by the decompression." Seven of Nine said as she seemed to have the slightest hesitation in her voice. Even as she completed her statement a console on the outer other side of the room exploded, spiting spitting sparks into the darkened cargo bay. For a fraction of a second Seven of Nine's facial feats features jumped slightly at the explosion. Then she seemed to regain her calm and added, "We are now in what is referred to as fluidic space. This is where Species 8472 originate from." she said, then turning from the grope to continued group to continue repairing the damaged Borg technology and systems.

Chakotay and Tuvok fallowed followed Seven of Nine's progress as she moved from one damaged piece of tech to an outer another. 'We definitely saw and heard the same thing, she just said I instead of we, then there was that hesitation when she seemed almost, I don't know, scared'.

"Seven of Nine, are you fully functional currently?" Tuvok asked suspiciously.

"You will not ask about my…our current operational state again." She instructed without looking up from a Borg data screen.

"Ok then so what's happing know happening now?" Chakotay asked giving Tuvok an outer quizzing another quizzical look, both on a count account that the Vulcan had asked about Seven of Nine's wellbeing as well as her down right odd reaction.

"Our entry into fluidic space has created a compression wave." she stated quickly, "Species 8472 know we are here and likely sending a combat force to intercept us. I… We predict it will take those forces 3 hours 17 minutes to arrive." Seven of Nine informed them.

Realisation stuck struck Chakotay hard in the chest as he realised that Seven of Nine knew too much about this realm of space to be a fluke. "You've been here before haven't you?" Chakotay asked, knowing the answer in his hear heart already. "How else would you know so much about fluidic space?" Chakotay asked hotly as he closed in on Seven of Nine, who still had her back turned to him.

"We must prepare this vessel for the coming conflict." Seven of Nine stated, not even looking at him as she started putting one of the alcoves back to gather together. She was still ignoring him which was the last straw. Feeing anger at both been lied to and manipulated by the Borg choke him, before he could consciously think on his course of action he reached a hand out and grabbed her shoulder, feeling the cold hard metal that covered it and making her spin around to face him.

"You will not touch this drone." Seven of Nine said angrily, her one cold eye flashing her shape dangerously as her scarred face turned to give him a death glare and Chakotay removed his hand before she became violent.

Chakotay reeled back a step, then Seven of Nine turned from him again to fully face him and said "You will now give US the modified nano probe and any information you have relating Species 8472. We will then consignment of bio-molecular warheads and prepare this vessel for the conflict." Seven stated, regaining her cool demeanour

"You started this war didn't you? What's the matter our galaxy not big enough for you?" He asked an accusingly, "But this race fought back, a Species as malevolent and destructive as your own." Chakotay said, anger and frustration boiling his blood.

"The conflict was unintentional. A Borg vessel was conducting experiments on what seemed to be a small dimensions rift. The rift opened and the Borg came into contact with Species 8472. We attempted to assimilate them there but they were more resistant than we anticipated." she said. "They are the height of biological evolution, their assimilation would have greatly added to our own perfection." Seven of Nine stated.

"Which is exactly what you wonted wanted." Tuvok pointed out.

"And now we have to pay the price for your need to be perfect." Chakotay said, anger crossing his dark face.

"We are perfect." Seven of nine stated looking away from her work to give this upstart human a death glare.

"No you're not, if you were then you would stop wouldn't you?!" he growled "But you can't help yourselves can you? You destroy and murder and corrupt everything you touch, that doesn't sound so perfect to me!" Chakotay said snarled, letting his anger come full force as he raged against her, letting all months of quiet anger that had been festering in his soul since he'd been used by the Co-operative and that feeling had been compounded by the events on that ruined Borg cube. He was sick and tired of the Borg and everything they stood for and that cold anger pushed Chakotay to his limits.

"You know nothing." Seven of nine stated, although more quietly than she had spoken before as she continued looking at this human male and something deep inside her quaked with the typist tiniest amount of fear. She suppressed the feeling as irrelevant but even so emotions, none of which she was accustomed to, had started to rear their heads since the voices of the Collective had quietened and now were becoming more pronounced since entering this realm.

"Oh really? Well here's a piece of advice for you, you will never be perfect because you are just as flawed as the rest of the galaxy, because you can never stop never and be satisfied." he said bitterly ,"I pity you." Chakotay said angry angrily.

"Your objections and observations have been noted and are irrelevant. There remains only one option, if you and your crew wish to survive then we must fight Species 8472 and destroy them first." Seven said, regaining her composure. "My subspace connection to the Collective has been weakened by the inter dimension rift." Seven said unsour admitted suddenly, "I…WE cannot signal for aid we are on our own" Seven of nine stated.

Chakotay thought to himself 'So that explains your reactions then, you're almost alone aren't you? No Collective to tell you what to do'.

"We must construct a complement of bio war heads and modify this vessel's weapons systems to fire them." Seven of Nine stated bluntly.

"I have a better plan, why don't you reopen that right than rift then take us back?" Chakotay suggested pointedly, hoping that in her weakened state she might just agree.

"If I did that you will be would no longer comply." Seven of Nine retorted without hesitation, but Chakotay caught her referring to herself in the first person again. Then she stepped back into the darkness to continue her repair work.

"Doctor to Chakotay." the Doctor's voice came through the com badge.

"Yes Doctor, what is it?" Chakotay asked hotly as he calmed himself from after the antagonising conversation with Seven of Nine.

"The Captain has regained consciousness and has requested your presence immediately." the Doctor told him, seeming not to notice Chakotay's bad mood.

"I'm on my way, Chakotay out." he answered, "Keep an eye on our guest." Chakotay told Tuvok and the Security team. Casting one harder He cast one last hard look at Seven of Nine, who was still doing repairs to the Cargo Bay.

"Yes sir." Tuvok said.

**Sickbay**

Chakotay then left and quickly arrived at the sick bay. As he entered the sick bay he could see that the Doctor was not only talking to the Captain but she was already back in her Starfleet uniform. He could her hear some of their conversation; mostly it entailed medical readings, ship events and The Doctor no doubt trying to keep her in sickbay for observation, a futile action if there ever was one. Chakotay approved approached them slowly and could see Kathryn regard him both coolly and with no small amount of annoyance and hurt which consumed her face.

" Ah Commander, good you're here. You no doubt will be pleased to know that the Captain has made a full recovery and is ready to return to duty." The Doctor told him, looking at Chakotay with apprehension and a little pity. There was no doubt that the Doctor had been on the receiving end of Kathryn's incessant questioning and demanding nature when she awoke. For a one moment both Chakotay and the Doctor had something in common as there was no doubt that Chakotay was about to be receive a far worse treatment.

"Thank you Doctor for informing me." Chakotay told the Doctor in understanding.

"I guess I'm on a roll first Ensign Kim and now the Captain just another day in the life of a hologram" Doctor said, stroking his ego. Just like that their moment of shared connection was over as the Doctor's ego got in the way as per usual.

"Doctor. If you could you excuse us for a moment the Commander and I need to have a talk in private." Janeway ordered, looking at both the Doctor and Chakotay stonily.

"Of course Captain. Computer deactivate EMH." the Doctor told the computer which beeped to confirm the order then the Doctor winked out of existence.

"Captain it's good to see you." Chakotay kindly as anticipation and gilt trepidation and guilt began to build in his heart.

"No time for pleasantries Commander, the Doctor has brought me up to speed on current events but he could not tell me what I really wonted wanted to know." she looked him right in the eye as she walked up to him until they were only an arm's length away from each outer other. "Why did you go against a direct order?" Janeway asked.

"It was clear to me that Borg would not wait for us to reach the edge of their territory. First they ordered to us turn around and head 40 light years back the way we came and when that didn't work out in their favour they threatened the ship with assimilation if we didn't give them the nano probes." Chakotay explained.

"Why didn't you Ronda-view with their ships to keep the alliance going as long as possible?" Janeway asked hotly, clearly the Doctor had forgotten to mention the chase with the Bio ships.

"We had a little trouble with a bio ship hunting us down like dogs." Chakotay answered in the same tone Kathryn had used.

"That should of giving you all the more reason to aid the Borg." Janeway snapped angrily at him, her eyes flashing.

"And we would likely all be drones by now if I had. In my mind the alliance was already over." Chakotay said seriously.

"You don't know that." Janeway retorted, shore sure of herself "You never trusted me." She accused Chakotay, "You just waited for an opportunity to disregard my orders! And for what Commander, because of some grudge held against the Borg for what the Co-operative did to you!" Janeway said angry. "Dame Damn it Chakotay, you could have made this work!" she yelled at him.

"Trust had nothing to do with it, I made a tactical decision." Chakotay told her, ignoring her accusations.

"Bull. If you had trusted this alliance for one moment we could have been out of the Borg's dammed territory and so much closer to home!" Janeway fumed, looking much like a coffee machine about to explode.

"They have been taking advantage of us since day one!" Chakotay retorted hotly, his frustrations how reach now reaching boiling point.

"We made concessions, and so did they." Janeway said coolly.

"They lied. They started this war and you dragged us into it." There was a knowing guilty flicker that crossed her face for a moment and Chakotay spotted it. "You knew didn't you?" He whispered in horror. Realisation dawning on him, he stepped away from her. He couldn't stop feeling the bitter and familiar taste of betrayal and manipulation. "How?" Chakotay asked, letting his anger rise to new heights.

"That drone Seven of Nine mansions mentioned it when I was on their cube." Janeway told him evenly but could not meet his dark burning eyes with her own.

"GOD DAME DAMN IT!" he roared, "Kathryn, you knew and you still crept kept this blasted alliance going. You know made us complacent in knowingly made us a part of this war. A war that had nothing do whit with us and are you're going to hand over a weapon to the bloody Borg and we will be reasonable for every death those weapons take cause from now on." Chakotay took a charming calming deep breath, he hated when he lost control. "Now before you say anything I know Species 8472 is dangerous but for god's sake, allying us with the Borg is unthinkable." He vented the last of his anger. "We only have one drone left now I suggest that we neutralise her, reconfigure the deflector array and get the hell out of here." Chakotay told Kathryn, who only gave him a cold glair glare.

"One left? What happened to the outers others? I don't remember must much but I thought there were about 8 of them." Janeway asked questioningly, she dear dared not back down from Chakotay's anger filled out burst.

"They seized control of the deflector array. I decompressed the cargo bay, there is only Seven of Nine lift left now." Chakotay told her breathing a sad shy.

"I see" Janeway said in understanding as she walked to take a set seat on a nearby bio bed, keeping a medical console between them.

"And she's been acting odd." Chakotay mentioned as he thought to himself that he might as well put all the cards on the table.

"Chakotay, she's a drone she isn't going to act like you or me." Janeway retorted bitterly and thinking to herself, 'And you did try to shoot her out an air lock'.

"No, you don't understand, when just talking to her she started things like I, me and mine and there were a few times when she was talking that she seemed to hesitate." Chakotay said, trying to explain.

"You think she is becoming an individual?" Janeway asked curiously, getting up from the bio bed.

"No, I don't think so. She said something about her link to the Collective being weakened buy by entry into fluidic space. That means she could be very nearly alone, we can knock her out, reset the deflector array, get back our galaxy, drop her of some were off somewhere and leave before the Borg find her. Make a run for the border and don't look back." Chakotay he told her.

"No! I'm not going to be court tinkling caught tinkering with the deflector array when Species 8472 attacks. There is no outer other option or way out Chakotay, it's too late for opinions, too late for options, it's time to make the call and I'm making it. We are going to fight the aliens in full cooperation with the Borg all else be dammed." Janeway told him seriously.

"I was linked to a Collective remember!" Chakotay said as he felt his anger rise again "I had a neuro-transceiver implanted in my spine. I know who we are dealing with, you don't." he told her bitterly, "We have to get rid of that Borg and take our chances alone." Chakotay told her just as seriously.

"Are you wouldn't be suggesting to murder her Chakotay?" Janeway asked, shock radiating across her face as she no longer recognised her friend and Commander First Officer. In all the time she knew she'd known him he was a kind and honest man who would never condone murder. 'Had his experiences with the Borg and the Co-operative had poisoned him so much?' she questioned herself.

Chakotay resized he go to realised he'd gone too far. His anger had gotten the better of him, just like it had during those early years in the Maquis when hate, rage and fury had poisoned him against all reason. There was a reason he keep kept his angry warrior in check, because once that beast was loose there was no stopping it and he had made a vale vow that wouldn't let his fury ruin what was left of his life or anyone else's. "No Captain you're right, if we did that we would be no better than the Borg. It's one thing to defend our self ourselves, but taking a life in anger…" Chakotay said, trailing off as he once again caged his anger.

Kathryn saw the sincerity in Chakotay's face. "I seemed to me we have two wars going on, the one out there and one in here. We can't fight both, we need to stand to gather and together or we will fall divided." Janeway told him.

"It will be our undoing." Chakotay said suddenly, realisation dawning on him.

"What?" Janeway asked, paring peering at his dark and handsome face as all the anger and rage left it.

"Something Seven of Nine said before they activated the deflector array. About our individuality how it would be our undoing. She said we lacked the cohesion of the Collective mind and that one day it will divide and destroy us. Here we are proving her right and I don't know about you but I don't intend to prove the Borg right." Chakotay told her, realisation dawning on them both.

"I'll tell you we made the mistake of turning from each outer other, stop trusting each outer other. We can't face what's out their divided" Janeway agreed.

"So what's our next move?" Chakotay asked.

"I have a plan, but you're going to have trust me." Janeway told him with a smile as a plan formed in her mind.

"Somehow I know I'm not going to like this plan am I?" Chakotay asked, knowing able to guess when Kathryn had some half brilliant, and half insane, plan up her sleeve.

"Don't worry Chakotay, it'll be a last resort. Do you remember what you told me that story about Fox and the Scorpion?" Janeway told him passingly.

"Yes Captain, but I don't see…" Chakotay said trailing off as he caught up to her train of thought.

"Well who said that who was the fox and who was the Scorpion?" Janeway asked wryly, "This is what we'll do. We fight Species 8472 here and if they have a shred of -preservation when we bearing bring our weapons to bear on their home ground we'll be safe for a while, then we can deal with Seven of Nine and the Borg." Janeway told him standing up from the bio bed she had been setting on.

"I don't know if we can have it both ways." Chakotay told her honestly.

"O Chakotay the of little faith" she said with a teasing smile "computer active EMH." Janeway ordered the computer.

The computer beeped and the doctor appeared before them, "Please state the medial emergency." the Doctor said.

"Doctor." Both Janeway and Chakotay said in unison

"Captain, Commander, how can I help?" the Doctor said, noticing the concerned look on Commander Chakotay's face and the convention conviction on Captain Janeway's face.

"Doctor, do you remember when you were telling us about the Borg neuro interlink, that it could be broken, how would we go about doing that?" Janeway asked and Chakotay gave her a concerned looked as he wondered what Janeway was up to now.

"Well, there are a number of ways, I assume you're planning to disconnect our Borg guest from the Collective?" the Doctor said, sensing the path of the conversation.

"If it comes to that Doctor." Janeway stated giving Chakotay a look of being willing to meet him half way were where Seven of Nine was concerned.

"Well, if I could get a scan of the drone in question before you do anything drastic that would help. Be that as it may during my research I have found there are only 3 ways we have at our disposal." The Doctor said, appearing thoughtful. "1. If you can incapacitate it, I could sever the neuro interlink with surgery but that is very risky, not only would you have to knock the drone out but we would also need a way to keep it under for a prolonged period of time without it deactivating itself." he told them

"You mean kill themselves don't you?" Chakotay asked sadly as he realised that would be a logical counter-measure the Collective would install in there their drones to inshore ensure that the enemies of the Collective wouldn't get their hands on any Borg technology or knowledge.

"Unfortunately yes. We know from when a number of drones were freed buy the start fleet by the Starfleet ship Byzantine from a damaged Borg scout ship about 6 years ago after that cube had a run into an ion storm. Of the surviving drones that underwent the medical process all but one of them self- deactivated while in surgery, it was later discover discovered that the Borg have any number fail-safe implants that could be activated if they their drones were captured. I believe that I would be able to circumvent those fail safes but us we're looking at a less than 10% survival rate. Unfortunately, the one drone who survived being severed went insane from the mental scarring and committed suicide two weeks later before they could transport him to a secure medical institution." The Doctor explained, sadness at such a waste of life draining his wrinkled face.

"Damn." Janeway said, looking despondent. "What about the other two options Doctor?"

"There is the method the Enterprise crew used to salvage Captain Picard but that was in extreme circumstances. Captain Picard was able to somehow brake break or fight his own link once the Enterprise crew rescued him and then, used using a dampening field, they were able to back break his link completely once the Cube self-destructed. Like I said, those were extreme circumstances. Firstly Captain Picard was assimilated and turned into but only existed as Locutus of Borg for less than two days. Our drone gest guest has likely been Borg for much longer. I don't suppose it might have told you how long…." The Doctor trailed off with a sad surge of his shoulders.

"It's a she Doctor and no, she hasn't told me how long ago…" Chakotay said, also trailing off. 'Not that I asked of course.' he thought.

"18 years" Janeway stated sadly.

"She told you?" Chakotay said, shocked, then as he thought to himself '18 years, my god' feeling a strange sadness enter his soul. He didn't know how old Seven of Nine may have been when she was assimilated nor could he speculate about how old she was now because those implants that dominated her body made it impossible to geese guess.

"I got curious when I was working alongside her on the cube so I asked her." Janeway sated seen clarified, seeing a look of puzzlement on Chakotay's face. "Come on Chakotay, you must have noticed by now she was human once." Janeway stated, peering at him as she stated the obverse obvious, or at least what had been obvious to her.

Being truthful with himself, had he really not noticed she was human? Or had he ignored that fact because he had been telling himself that one drone was very much like any outer other drone? He was ashamed all the same that his anger and frustrations had blinded him to that fact. "Continue Doctor." Chakotay told the Doctor.

"Well, if she interfaces directly with any of Voyager's systems, which she would have to if she tried to assimilate us, we could send a power surge though Voyager's systems and that, once it entered her body, would likely break the link." The doctor said "There is only way we could distract this Seven of Nine long enough to create a power surge strong enough to brake break the neuro link but not kill her outright. We would have to reactivate Commander Chakotay's neuro-transceiver and force a link on her." the Doctor told them.

"Wait, you won't want to renavigated reactivate my neuro-transceiver? Is that even possible?" Chakotay said a aghast peering at the hologram as if he had lost all his senses.

"Yes it's quite possible, we would just need an active Borg alcove." the Doctor told him seriously.

"Doctor, Captain, you can't be serious! Don't either of you remember what happened last time?" Chakotay told them both, feeling a tiny bit scared. The last time he was only linked to a handful of former drones and that had confused him enough for several life times, he couldn't even comprehend how he would interact with a full drone still connected to the Collective or what effect affect this might have on him.

"I'm afraid that is the only viable obtain us option we have if this Seven of Nine doesn't leave peacefully, other than killing her outright that is…" the Doctor said, trailing off.

"Like I said Chakotay, this is just a last resort. I won't order you to do this but you may be this crew's only hope if Seven of Nine tries to assimilate us." Janeway said to Chakotay, concern flowing across her face. She knew however though Chakotay may not be thrilled at the idea, what sane person would be? But she knew that he valued the crew's safety above virtually all else.

Chakotay wasn't convinced of by any of this but he had enough killing. Enough was enough. Maybe just maybe it was time to save a life. Though he wondered what kind of life could Seven of Nine really have after been being part of the Collective for a life time. "If I do this, than what to stop then what's stop to me from losing my individuality?" Chakotay asked, concern flashing across his face.

"There is still so much we don't know about how the Borg interlinked or how it works but I will be with you monitoring the link and at the first sign of trouble I can deactivate it. However you stand a good chance of beaning being able resist the pull of the Collective for some time as you were never assimilated and you have been connected to a group mind before and you did not lose your identity" the Doctor told him evenly.

Chakotay he knew it wasn't a perfect plan or even close to perfect but it was the only option if everything went pear shaped. "Fine I'll do it, but if this works what are we going to do with Seven of Nine?" Chakotay asked, "I hope you know that she won't be very happy about it if this works." he added darkly.

"We will cross the bridge when we get to it Chakotay." Janeway told him strongly, "But we don't move infill until I give the word." Janeway told both men.

"Which is?" the Doctor asked.

"If she is compliant and we leave Borg space unharmed I'll use the word 'Fox', if she betrays us, 'Scorpion'." Janeway stated with grim finality.

"Ok next question, that who can we tell about this? If we tell everyone someone might accidently give something away. Loose lips sink ships and all that." the Doctor stated.

"Well, we will need Tuvok, B'Elanna and Harry in the know." Janeway told them

"Ok then. I can't believe we're even considering breaking a drone from the Collective but this does sound like a pretty solid plan." Chakotay said, but thought more privately, 'I must be as crazy for agreeing to this as Kathryn was for getting us into this mess in the first place'.

"Well, we have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in." Janeway told both the Doctor and Chakotay.

**Voyager**

Captain Janeway had the doubles track difficult task of getting Seven of Nine out of the Cargo bay, and given to that end gave her almost full actress access to the ship under the supervision of Tuvok and the most experienced Security officers Voyager had to hand. The crew for the most part was completely oblivious to the plan and mealy merely worked overtime to get the ship ready for the approaching battle with Species 8472.

Meanwhile the Doctor, Chakotay and B'Elanna made good progress in infiltrating the cargo bay without alerting Seven of Nine and prepared to act out the Captain's plan.

Soon the last Borg combat upgrades were completed and active, these included modulated shields, extra armour plating, 18 bio-manically bio-molecular warheads and one high yield warhead. The long rang senses sensors which had been modified by Seven of Nine had upgraded them to work in fluidic space. The sense detached sensors detected the fast approach of 4 of the bio ships who were almost now with in visile rang visible range of Voyager.

**Bridge **

As Voyager's red alert blared, Kathryn Janeway sat in her Captain's chair, every very much like the calm eye of the storm that was her crew as the rushed to about like ants on fire. "All hands, this is Captain Janeway. We have just detached detected Species 8472 ships incoming prepare all stations for battle. Hold fast. Stand by for my orders." Janeway told the entire crew over the inter com system.

**Undine bio ships/ inter-mind**

" This parasitic interloper from the solid realm are is the one we sensed." a scout Undine said, a little shocked that shush such a pitiful force had the gall to enter the undine's realm.

"Yes, it's almost amusing this filth thinks they can take on the might of the Undine." a warrior Undine said in clear amusement.

"These vermin are no batter better than those pitifully Borg our kin are expunged from that tainted solid realm and deserve nothing better than extinction." the lord said with convection conviction.

"Although one among them has potential, if only we could enlighten her." another warrior said somewhat amused at the one bright spark among this filth.

"A pity, but she will be destroyed with all those who threaten our glorious purity. Purge the unclean! All hail the Undine! Now expunge this stain from our home." The lord said.

"We could have some fun first and show her true power before we purge them." the scout suggested.

"Agreed" the Undine said in unison. They then started to break into Kes's tiny mind.

**Voyagers Bridge **

"Four bio-ships inbound." Harry exclaimed, worry colouring his face as he typed furiously.

"I've got a visual Captain" Tom nervously informed his Captain.

"On screen" Janeway ordered betraying with composure as she sat deep in her Captain's chair which was the exact opposite of the dread she now felt from her crew and felt herself.

"Captain I can hear them clearly." Kes said suddenly as she sat up in her chair next to the captain. She had lost that dream like expression on her face and now had an intense expression of concentration. "They want to talk through me." She explained but her voice was anything but the serene gentle calm she normally had. Her voice was now a darker angry version of itself. "They say we have contaminated their realm, we are weak, unclean." Kes said hotly.

"Tell them we had no choice we were only trying to defend ourselves." Janeway told Kes turning to see that. Gone was her calm gaze as her eyes seemed to almost glow white

"Captain Janeway do I…We have remind you of our alliance?" Seven of Nine intoned, standing like a statue behind the Captain. "These aliens can't be reasoned with." Seven of Nine stated continued, looking anything but her impassive self.

"It might not be the Borg's way to destroy everything in their wake. Humans on the outer other hand will always try finding some kind of compromise to avoid conflict whenever possible." Janeway told Seven of Nine, turning to give the drone woman a glare. Seven of Nine however didn't even respond or show any expression at then other than her one real eye narrowing very so slightly.

"Captain, they say our galaxy is impure, a threat to their purity. We must be destroyed for foaling fouling their realm. They say that we who live in the solid realm bust be extinguished for the crime of existing." Kes said looking like she was in a great deal of discomfit discomfort and pain as sweat poured from the younger woman.

"Tell them we have a devastating weapon that can destroy them at the cellular level." Janeway told her quickly, not wanting to but put Kes thought this mental conversation any more than necessary. "If they don't stop their attacks on our galaxy we will be forced to use it and give it to the Borg." Janeway said.

"They said surrender and die." Kes said, gritting her teeth.

**The Battle**

The 4 bio ship closed the remanding distance to Voyager and began firing their yellow beams of lightning at Voyager, which thanks to Tom Paris' skills at the helm they were able to avoid. Voyager was not without weapons of its own, they returned fire on the Bio ships. The bio ships managed to use their speed and manoeuvrability to avoid most of Voyager's weapons. So begin an epic battle between with Voyager using all its stranded weapons and the Borg modified ones that flashed green and red as their battle raged, neither side getting the direct hits needed to gain the advantage in their hour or so of intense combat. One bio ship however did finally manage to get a clean shot at Voyager as it fired it's lighting beam's managing to strafe Voyager's hull and take a good bight bite out of their shields and damaging the port engine. Voyager listed to one side as more of the bio ships weapons found their mark. As the yellow lighting cut into Voyager, bucking the hull in many places and managing to burn away great chucks of Borg armour away from the ship managing and cutting power to many decks.

As the yellow lightning of the weapons strikes cut into Voyager, the hull began to buckle and great chunks of the Borg armour were burned away as power was cut to most decks. The sick bay was soon inundated with crewmembers who evaluated the compromised areas of the ship, it was only a miracle that no one was killed but many were badly injured. It was clear as yet more of the Bio ships weapons found their way through Voyager's failing defences that death could come at any moment if Voyager did not gain the advantage. As the air started to smell of desperation, burned metal and fear, many of the crew held each other, believing that this could be the end of the star ship Voyager.

**Bridge**

"Shields and weapons are off line." Tuvok said ,wiping green blood from a deep cut on his forehead from where it smashed into his console from the lost last violent shaking of the ship as consoles exploded all-round the bridge.

"Rerouting power." Harry said as his fingers rapidly typed in his commands into the Operation consoles that wined whined in protest, "There, that's all we have left!" he exclaimed.

"They're coming around for an outer another attack run." Tom said picking himself up from his broken chair "I've lost thrusters." Tom said, his had worked desperately at the contrails of the heil his hands working desperately at the helm controls.

"We only have 8 bio molecular warheads reaming remaining." Tuvok said, his mask of impassiveness slipping. "Ready to fire in 14 seconds." he said.

"Captain Janeway, the alien ships are slowing down." Seven of Nine said as a cut on her exposed skin rapidly healed. "We have observed this tactic before where Species 8472 is concerned. They often prolong combat unnecessarily before destroying their targets outright." Seven of Nine explained.

"Which means?" Janeway said hotly

"Use their over confidence against them and fire!" Seven of Nine exclaimed as the ship was rocked by a near miss.

"Fire!" Janeway ordered.

A green bio molecular warhead left Voyager with frighting seed frightening speed and smashed into the leading craft, having seemly seemingly having no effect. Voyager's remaining warheads were fired in quick suggestion succession, 2 missed, but the outers other 4 all hit their mark.

"Direct hit on all ships, on no effect." Tuvok said.

"They're charging weapons!" Harry said, glopping gulping air.

"I…we do not understand. These weapons should have been successful." Seven of Nine said in almost a small, shocked, voice. Then one by one each ship started glowing a strange green.

**Undine bio ships/ inter-mind **

"LORD I have been hit and infected with some kind of cellular weapon!" the scout screamed in agony before going silence silent.

"No!" the lord exclaimed in horror as all of their ships were now hit with the same weapons.

"These curs will pay for this affront…aggggg" one of the warriors said before he/she exploded.

Then one by one the bio-ships glowed grey and then melted or blew apart

**Voyager Bridge**

"The nano-probes were indeed successful if not prompt. All enemy vessels destroyed." Tuvok said. The hull crew let out a collective cheer and breathe sigh of relief and started hugging each other.

"Take that you bastards! That's what you get when you mess with Voyager!" Tom cheered, pumping his hand in the air.

"They never stood a chance!" Harry exclaimed, smiling boldly.

"All right boys settle down, this isn't over yet." Janeway told them sternly.

"Sorry Captain." Both Tom and Harry said in unison as the mood on the bridge settled down.

"Well I think we made our point, don't you Seven of Nine?" Janeway told the drone woman, standing up from her chair to face the drone head as if in challenge.

"Indeed." Seven of Nine stated coolly but Janeway couldn't help but see a glint of something in her human eye before she turned about face and started tapping on a large console, pushing one of the crewmen out of the way. Then just as they she had hours before, she opened a rift between this strange alien realm and Voyager was pulled back to the delta quadrant. The whole ship shook but then was back home for lack of a better word.

"Captain, we're back and it looks like we managed to cut 200 light years off our trip." Tom said after reading what the nav was telling him. "But we're still in Borg space, I can't tell were where though." he added mystified.

"How douse does that work?" Harry asked no know one in particular.

"Using inter-dimensional rifts to travel between fluidic space and our galaxy is not an exact method of travel and is subject to unpredictable fluctuations." Seven of Nine explained, her voice losing it's little inflictions it had while in fluidic space as she walk calmly to the centre of the bridge, her eye once again going pinpoint in dilation

"Captain!" Tom exclaimed. They all saw what Tom had seen on the view screen. A feet of Bio ships, at least 37 in all.

"How many?" Janeway asked, getting going back to her seat as the red alert burred into life once again.

"37 bio-ship's." Harry said, stocked shocked, all colour draining from his face.

"Kes, are you still in contact?" Janeway asked.

"Yes." Kes said at length, closing her blood shot eyes.

"Tell them if they continue their attacks we will use an even more powerful weapon." Janeway told Kes to which Kes could only nod.

"They're not Lessing listening." Kes said reluctantly, her voice going back to its normal tones.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Janeway ordered.

"Yes Captain!" Tom exclaimed "They're in pursuit!" he said as he made the most of what little speed and power Voyager had left after their battle in fluidic space.

"Prepare to fire the high yield warhead in the aft torpedo bay." Janeway ordered.

"Warhead armed and ready Captain." Tuvok stated.

"Target for maximum damage. FIRE!" Janeway exclaimed.

As the 37 bio ships closed the distance between themselves and Voyager, an even bigger green warhead left the aft of Voyager and travelled at high speeds right into the middle of the fleet. The bio-ships tried to avoid it, knowing of the destructive abilities of these weapons now. They however could not escape the huge lash of green light that exploded outwards and for the briefest of moments a new star seemed to be born from that explosion, briefly blocking out all outer other stars with a terrible green explosion that hit all the ships in the fleet, many of them been being instantly destroyed, outers others critically damaged.

"30 bio-ship destroyed, the outers others are in full retreat." Tuvok stated.

"We have regained full contact with the Collective." Seven of Nine said suddenly.

"What are they saying?" Janeway asked before discreetly tapping her nearby console to send a com link beep to Chakotay, B'Elanna and the Doctor in cargo bay two to prepare for her signal.

Seven of Nine turned her head to look Janeway in the eye. "All reaming remaining bio-ships are returning to their realm. Species 8472 is judged to be dangerous and thus incompatible to be for assimilation at this time. The Borg have prevailed." Seven of Nine stated, sending a chill up everyone's spines.

"With a little help from us." Janeway said, standing up to face Seven of Nine, who was moving from her place behind the rail to step into the middle of the bridge as if looking at it for the first time. "It's now time for you to live up to your side of the agreement. Tell the Collective we expect safe passage from here on out, we will give you a shuttle craft and you can head toward the nearest Borg vessel." Janeway told her.

"Unacceptable. You have seen do too much of Borg's tactical systems and have damaged Borg units. This alliance is terminated. Your ship and crew will adapt to service us." She stated unfeelingly, "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." Seven of nine stated, then turned her gaze away from Janeway and stared started heading for the helm. Many of the crew picking picked up their phasers and started firing them at Seven of Nine. These however had no effect on her as her Borg shields flashed a protective green with each hit.

Tom Paris quickly got up from his chair and tried to clobber her with the butt of his phaser. She just grabbed it with super human speed and crushed it signal handed with one hand like a tin can. Then, with her outer other hand she picked him up as if he was nothing and threw him the length of the bridge. Then Seven of Nine plunging her assimilation tubes built into her left hand and right arm coming from the blocky implant and were much thicker a drill like. Green lights and vane like metal stated to creep over the helm. She then plunged her assimilation tubes, which extended out from her left hand like a cat's claws, into the helm, which immediately began to be consumed from the inside out by silvery metallic veins, throbbing with energy.

"Captain Janeway to Commander Chakotay." she said tapping her com badge, "Scorpion." Janeway said, almost sadly.

**Cargo bay 2**

Chakotay heard Kathryn's command. He took a deep, calming breath.

"Ready?" asked the Doctor their was a look of pity on his face.

"Just do it Doctor." Chakotay told him, more harshly then than he intended.

The Doctor activated the neuro-transceiver implanted in Chakotay's spine and with a flash impossible colours and almost thoughts, warped impressions and unimposing collection of knowledge and memory began to consume him. Chakotay felt his mind, all that he was, brush adjust against something cold and repellent. Punching pushing past these odd half thoughts, his mind found who it was looking for in the sea of untold billions. That one voice been being drowned out but by countless others.

**"SEVEN OF NINE, HEAR ME." Chakotay called out above the all-consuming voice of the Collective**.

On the bridge Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 head heard a new voice enter her mind. This was nothing new for the Borg of course but there was something different about this one, it was both familiar and alien at the same time. It was familiar because she had heard it before it was the human male voice of Commander Chakotay, it was alien because it was too loud. His voice was clearer then than the billions of outers others, the only equivocate equivalent was when she had heard either the Queen talk directly or the voice of the betrayer traitor Locutus. His voice was so loud and clear in fact, it nearly drowned out the others.

**"Commander Chakotay." Seven of nine stated in puzzlement as her mind was torn away from the sea of noise that had been her world for as long as she could remember**.

"**Seven of Nine you must hear me, lessen listen to my voice." Commander Chakotay said, calling to her with all his mental might strength.**

Then both Seven of Nine and Commander Chakotay's minds were transferred into a direct link which took the form of a vast empty room of complete darkness within. In one corner stood Seven of Nine and behind her the voices of billions, betrayed portrayed as green and yellow lights all interlinked into great changing patterns of circle and lines. In the other corner stood Commander Chakotay in full Starfleet colours with the lights of all his memory's memories behind him looking like the vastness of space and a large grey female wolf laying lying at his feet. Now the true battle for the sake of Voyager began.

Chakotay perpended prepared for the fight of his life. He didn't know now if her could distract Seven of Nine from the assimilation of Voyager long enough for the his crew to gain the upper hand. He did know however that everything rested on him, could he, just one man really brake break the hold of billions to save one soul? Great closing line! Definitely in character for Chakotay and every reader will want more!

**Next chapter, Chapter 4: The Bitter Gift**

AN: It's time again to answer questions so here we go. I just went ahead and corrected your author's note without the highlights, I hope you don't mind. I agree with everything you say too.

I did put more into Species 8472 and their interaction and mind play than they do in the show because we never learn a damn thing about them ever not what their civilization is like, their politics, or their mentality so I tried to flesh them out a bit still left enough for people to draw their own theories.

I also wanted to play with Seven of Nine here. In the show all she says is that her link to the Collective has been weakened by the space rift thing. From what Seven and others in Star Trek have said about the link it's like….think of the entire internet and all the conversations on Earth happening right at any point rammed into your head constantly then times that by a billion worlds and billions of people then you get an idea of what it is to be a drone. Then take away all emotion, feelings or independent thought and replace it with pure cold logic bent to one overriding will to aid to that knowledge for ever even beyond death. Seven said that her link was weakened so imagination for one moment you're in her shoes. You have known nothing else other than that noise for as long as you can remember and now it's almost gone. Not completely just enough to start to get cracks in your psyche, with the Borg whispering in one ear and your human self starting to wake up after 18 years of mental submission, you god damn bet you would have some strong feelings. Hence her interactions with the crew.

Kes. I know I know in the show Kes has blue eyes I know. Now what bit me one she is an alien not human and it my biggest gripe with Star Trek that all the aliens look and act just like us. I know the show had limitations due to money and resources but come on you can't tell me that it never occured to them to make their aliens look that much more well ALIEN. I'm not talking big things like extra arms or legs all though that would be cool but what about little things like eye colour. Tails. Skin colour. Extra body bits like spikes, horns, tusks whatever so I changed Kes' eyes to purple. If you don't like than bite me. And before you bring up Dr who doing the same thing for 50 years I have the exact same problem with it as I do Star Trek and if I was do say if in one area classic who is better than new who is that a lot of them time they went for full blown costumes and body makeup and suits more so then new who.

It has always bothered me how did Janeway know Seven was human? They never once say how she figured it out, I mean if you look at Seven compared to the other drones they all look the same. How the hell did Janeway know Seven was human? Again ever god damned race looks the same. So then I suppose you could just say it was logical that the Borg would use a human as their mouth piece, but again how did Janeway know? What evidence did she go on she's not like Tom or Chakotay who rely on their guts, she is a woman of science so why ask when you know the Borg don't consider themselves one race or another they are Borg.

Tuvok. my little bit with Tuvok was a nod the episode "Fury" where because of stuff somehow he was able to see into the future because of the evil Kes messing with the time line. And remember he said to Janeway that he saw former Borg drones on board Voyager which at the time was Seven and her Borg kids, he did not know who they were because in that episode they were all still in their alcoves so he didn't know names but he did see Seven's face and someone like Tuvok would memorise her facial features he may have not been constantly aware of this it would be like déjà vu when he meets her all those years later.

Please review and ask questions and I'll try and answer them but don't be a douche. Yours Alaster Boneman.


	4. Chapter 4: The Bitter Gift part 1

AN: I know I let a lot of people down with chapter three, and I apologise. That chapter was rushed you see, I was so stoked to get my work back from Scifiromance, I forgot to remove a lot of the mistakes and stuff I can only apologise. I have rewritten this chapter a lot of times to try and avoid the same mistakes. This was going to be the longest chapter to date but as I believe it to long so I have cut it into smaller sup chapters each about 10000 words this may become the format for all my furfure chapters for this story let me know if you prefer the smaller sup chapters or the longer singular chapter just to let you all know the chapter prober is 59496 words. Be frowned these chapters will be dark and sad, you have been warned. A big thank you to Scifiromance for becoming my beta, it means so much, you have no idea how much it means to me, you and your stories are the reason I took to the keyboard to write fan fictions in the first place. Your work is an inspiration to me and I hope the entire fan fiction community. Everyone should check out her stuff, it is one billion times better than my insane ramblings.

AN: This story was made for non-profit. All Characters and universe belong to Paramount

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**The Bitter Gift Part 1**

**New endings and old begging's **

"Wake me up, wake me up inside, I can't wake up, wake me up inside, save me, call my name and save me from the dark" Evanescence, 'Bring Me to Life' lyrics.

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><p><strong>Neuro interlink<strong>

In the dark vastness of the direct neuro interface between them, Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 stood in all her terrible Borg splendor. Her body was encased in black Borg exo-plate armour, with winking lights flashing in sequence. Her face was scarred with metal plates, one of which covered her right ear. Long tubes pierced what little exposed skin she had. On the back of her head was an implant which looked like a spider or a cruel crown of thorns that sunk into her skull, her left eye was replaced with large probe like implant with blinking lights. The skin that was exposed was grey and mottled, not unlike a corpse. Her right human eye was a pale sky blue, showing only an impenetrable, malevolent darkness. The corner of the neuro inter face in which Seven of Nine stood was bathed in a vile green light coming from a mass of green lines, circles and other shapes, always moving and twisting in patterns of such complexity that they verged on the twin landscapes of both madness and brilliance. The whisper of the Collective was like background white noise that penetrated the whole neuro realm.

Chakotay stood proud and stern like a lighthouse in the darkness, his burgundy First Officer uniform and his handsome dark features standing out in vivid contrast to the vague shadows and lights that surrounded him. Above his left eye there was a tribal tattoo, his hair thick and black, only marred with slight flecks of grey. Memories from his entire life floated around him, shining like bright stars piercing the realm of night. They pushed against the darkness and the creeping green lines of twisting patterns edged across the realm toward him. His animal guide, a large muscular grey female wolf, stood guard over his memories like a mother would protect her children.

"Seven of Nine, hear me. You must stop what you're doing." Chakotay said seriously, trying to pierce the veil of green that seemed to shimmer around her like a shield.

"Commander Chakotay?" Seven of Nine asked a somewhat puzzled look on what was left of her human face. "How have you interfered with our mind?" she asked "This should not be possible, humans do not have the technology or the mental ability to enter others minds." Seven of Nine stated, perplexed by this outcome.

Chakotay noticed the lights around her seemed to dim as if in response to her confusion "Like I'm going to tell you that!" he retorted hotly. "You're trying to assimilate my crew. You have to be stopped!" Chakotay told her with conviction, his face becoming hard, his expression driven.

"You will not prevent their assimilation or yours. It is inevitable the Borg will overcome this resistance, break the link and become one with us." Seven of Nine commanded coolly.

"That's never going to happen Seven of Nine. I will stop you from harming my crew." Chakotay told her forcefully.

"We will not harm them. We will add them to our perfection." She said simply as the Borg lights grew stronger; more definite lines of green, corrupt light slivered though the darkness. "We will free them from their flawed emotions, their irrelevant self-serving thoughts." Seven of Nine stated, her gaze unblinking, piercing Chakotay's very soul with its unshakeable coldness.

"You won't harm them?!" Chakotay roared at her, feeling his blood boil. "You think taking away someone's free will is harmless? Turning them into a slave, ripping families and friends apart doesn't cause pain?" he hissed angrily, "Look at what the Borg have done Seven of Nine, look at all the suffering they have caused. How many people has their obsession claimed, how many worlds destroyed?" he asked accusingly, his words full of bitter venom and anger as his rage found new levels. "How many? How many Seven of Nine, or don't you even know?" Chakotay asked her, his anger getting the better of him at the mere thought that the Borg even didn't consider what they did to countless lives wrong or harmful.

"We are Borg." Seven stated coldly, "Those you speak of are now us. We are freed from your flawed, petty, irrelevant emotions." She retorted coolly as the lines of green lights around her increased in brightness and strength and pushed Chakotay's mind and body back a step. "They have added to our perfection. As will you." Seven of Nine stated as the Chakotay's mind reeled from her assault.

She then saw how the humans had instigated this direct neuro interlink. She could see that Commander Chakotay had a neuro transmitter implanted in his spine but how he could have a piece of Borg technology inside his body, and have the knowledge on how to use it like a weapon without ever being assimilated was guarded from the Collective's gaze. Seven of Nine, or more precisely the Collective, was intrigued. How could a mere human have the force of will to resist the call of perfection? The fact that Chakotay could even fight back against their mental assault was inconceivable. "We can see that you Commander have knowledge of us." she stated, the Borg lights lowering in scope. "Yet you resist, how? Why?" Seven of Nine questioned him, the lights behind her growing dimmer.

"You're right; I was connected to a Collective once." Chakotay told her reluctantly, regaining the ground he lost to the Collective. "You want to know why I resist?" he asked, calming himself as he realized that going like a bull in a china shop at Seven of Nine wasn't going to work, he would have to wear her down. "That's who I am, that's what it is to be human Seven of Nine, to resist evil and corruption until we can't resist anymore, but you know what we do when we think it's too much? We keep on fighting! Keep on trying and when all hope is lost that's when we try our hardest. You were human once, some part of you must remember!" Chakotay told her with conviction. Using that conviction, he pushed against the whispering voices, against the green light that threatened to snuff out his memories and take away everything he was.

"You know nothing." Seven of Nine said, for the first time she sounded somewhat unsure. The lights behind her lessened for a moment and the voices quietened. "Human, like all individuals, embrace imperfection, you lie and deceive and spread chaos." she retorted, the lights and voices coming back only slightly weaker than before. "We bring order to chaos."

Chakotay grimaced as Seven of Nine regained her foot hold; she certainly wasn't a push over. The Collective was always there to shore up any gaps he poked in her defences. 'Damn this isn't working; I need her to get emotional'. He thought, 'No wait, it was working, when I called her human she got emotional and if I can get her emotional then the Collective's grip on her might slip just enough to give him the hold he needed. "No you were born human. Who were you? What do you remember of your life before they took you and turned you into the drone Seven of Nine?" Chakotay asked, his own lights starting to shine brighter as hers seemed to dim just a little.

"This body was assimilated 18 years ago. You are attempting to reach my humanity? A futile endeavour." Seven said but the Borg lights seemed to be wavering just slightly as if something was interfering with their iron grip. "The memories you speak of are irrelevant." Seven of Nine said, unsure, even confused. For a moment, her impassive features seemed to slip just a little then she regained her impassive mask.

Chakotay saw the swift changes on her scarred face and knew he had hit pay day, all he needed to do was dig a little deeper, find more cracks. "You weren't born Borg Seven of Nine, you know that. So stop lying to yourself, you wouldn't want to detract from perfection, right?" Chakotay asked, seeing her face change again but this time it was not confusion that filled her face instead it was anger that flushed her face. He knew then if he could make her see the flaws in her logic or rather the Borg's twisted logic, he somehow knew that Borg's need for perfection would not tolerate deception, but he also somehow knew where and when to push and what to push, almost like a gut feeling.

"You are mistaken." She exclaimed as the green lights grew in strength. "You are wrong." She hissed as her body stiffened. "I have always been BORG." This time the lights didn't grow, they shrunk and for a mere heartbeat of a moment she seemed to waver. "BORG DO NOT…. LIE!" Seven of Nine shouted but it was obvious to Chakotay that as their link continued the lines between them had started to blur more and more, he could feel a sinister cold logic start to worm into his mind and she seemed to be becoming more and more emotional. "Your attempts to appeal to my humanity are futile." Seven of Nine yelled loudly but even now her voice wobbled and so did the lights around her as they merged and mingled with Chakotay's lights.

"Oh, I don't think they're so futile, you just said 'my' instead of 'our' again." He said coolly, seeing her fear and confusion override her arrogance and indifference. "You were human once, you can be again." His lights grew in strength, with his convictions fighting the pull of the Collective as the background noise seemed to lose interest in Seven of Nine's struggles and instead sought out his mind to add to theirs.

"You are wrong Commander... You know nothing…there is no individuality. There is only the Collective" Seven of Nine forced out.

He took a long, steadying breath and with herculean effort he was able to push the whispers out of his mind, but as the volume of the noise in his head lessened he gained an insight. "What about our time in fluidic space?" Chakotay asked, catching her human eye widening as if in surprise or shock. "What was it like, the other voices being quiet for once? Were you able to feel things again? What was it like Seven of Nine, for once not been told what to think and how to think it?" Chakotay asked accusingly. He pushed back against the growing green lights, the constant white noise that seemed to be roaring in both of their minds as their mental defences were opening up, leading their minds towards full integration. "What was it like Seven of Nine, to be nearly alone, what did you feel? Were you afraid?" he asked, feeling something as cold as ice press into their minds. He just shoved back. "Lonely?" he murmured, pushing back with all the might he could muster. Chakotay held on to everything he was, all that he had done and seen. The good, the bad and the ugly, and used those pains like a shield around them to slow the Collective's pull on both of them. "You don't know do you? You don't know how you felt do you?" Chakotay questioned, knowing he was gaining the advantage, but for how long would the mental barriers last? Moments if he was to guess.

"Emotions detract from perfection I…..we….I…WE do not suffer from them." Seven of Nine said, her cut glass voice fluctuating between her usual monotone voices and an almost childlike tone. "This conversation is irrelevant. Surrender and become one with us." she stated hotly as she raged against him, fighting back against his mental advances.

"No I will not surrender and for the record, no conversation has been more relevant than this one right now!" Chakotay told her, raising his voice to reach her though the constant Borg voices that now seemed to scream in the background.

"Your agitations towards me will not help you." Seven of Nine said, her tone becoming cold as ice again, her face losing the rapidly changing expressions she had gained when the Collective will seemed to waver. Those voices were no longer focusing on Chakotay and instead had their hooks into her again. "We have always been Borg…WE will always be Borg!" She stated stubbornly.

'I need to push just a little harder.' He thought "You're human, but you have just forgotten, because they made you forget." Chakotay said, with conviction making his lights grow brighter, trying to outshine her Borg ones. The effect was almost more than he could handle. Chakotay saw an impression of a memory that was just enough to refocus himself. "They hurt you Seven of Nine. They took you away from your family, your mother, your father, your friends, they don't want you to see those memories. They don't want you to know the truth. You were human once, you were free once, and if you were free once you can be again!" Chakotay said, now making his light grow by pure force of will. "That you were loved once!" He exclaimed as hot needles of pain started to flash in his mind and he could see her face become doubtful. "Cared for!" Chakotay roared as the pain increased and Seven of Nine looked as if she shared that pain as her body seemed to shake. "Fear, loneliness, happiness, sadness, anger, joy, love, you felt all of those once! You can feel them again!" Chakotay told her, pushing her by using his convictions more and more. He could sense she was near breaking point by the way the lights behind her flickered, he knew the truth and so did she deep down, somewhere under all that armour her time in fluidic space had started to open the flood gates of her true self, all he needed to do was push her to open them fully.

"…..I….. do….. not….exist…only the Collective exists." Seven of Nine said in a weak voice, one which was small and full of pain. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf in a storm as her mind started to betray her. She took her hands that had been plastered to her side during the whole exchange, and held them over where her ears would be as if to block him out.

"You exist….you matter." Chakotay told her fervently, "Some part of you must remember how that feels and if those memories are irrelevant then why don't you remember them?" He asked, pushing his battered mind deeper into their connection. "Is it because they don't want you to? Or you don't want remember?! Which is it?" Chakotay asked he pushed make her run to the truth of her past.

"**Irrelevant!**" Seven of Nine screamed at him, her mental walls were now close to crumbling, failing under the strain of the mental fight she had to put up to keep the human out. This should not be possible. How could this mere flawed human, this Chakotay, an irrelevant human, have the ability to affect her connection to the Collective? Her mind railed against this but now despite the assurances of the Collective's voice, that voice itself now seemed to constantly shift from the logic and reason she had always known, to screaming at her before turning into an a weak wail of a siren call just like it had it been when she was in fluidic space.

Chakotay pressed the last of his mental reserves into one last do or die mental attack. "What are you afraid of see?" Chakotay asked, near the end of his rope.

"WE ARE BORG! I DO NOT FEEL FEAR!" Seven of Nine yelled all her rage at him.

"I'm afraid." Whispered a small childish voice, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I know." Chakotay replied with compassion, having barely heard the whisper. "And I'm sorry." He told Seven of Nine, and with a look of utter fear on her face and look resignation on his the walls around their minds fell away till there was no distinction in between the them as they flowed into each other.

Seven of Nine started to see into 'Chakotay's' memories. Not all at once but little by little as they entered her mind and mixed with 'her own memories as if there was no distinction between them. She felt each of them as if she had been the one whom had experienced the moment. Try as she might, she could not break the link between them and the voices of the others became disturbingly quiet. She saw some of his childhood memories, growing into a strong, proud man in a close knit family. Growing up under the care of his father, 'Kolopak' whose passion for finding the links to the past was only surpassed by his devotion to his family. She saw his mother, 'Aylen', whose equally powerful love of the mysteries of the universe ran nowhere as deep as her caring nature and a misfit of a little sister 'Sekaya', who always seemed to get into some form of trouble. His memories soured when his mother died suddenly, the victim of a sudden and massive aneurysm that claimed her life.

After that things had never been the same within his family. She saw how close Chakotay and Kolopak had once been but they drifted apart as Kolopak buried his grief by becoming more consumed by his search for the histories of long forgotten peoples and Chakotay became doubly desperate to reach for the future until he achieved his long held goal of graduation from Starfleet Academy. Despite their many heated arguments, Chakotay's father and sister attended his graduation.

Kolopak and Chakotay walked side by side down the well maintained and ordered paths of the San Francisco Academy, one of the many academies scattered around on key Federation planets. "So what do you make of all this then, dad?" Chakotay asked. He knew his father's feelings towards Starfleet, and about his own decision to join up and explore the stars, but he wanted to bury the hatchet.

Kolopak grumbled something that sounded like a complaint that the grounds were too sterile. "Dad, be nice. Can't you just be happy for me?" Chakotay asked tersely, feeling a swell of anger at his father's apparent dismissal of everything he had worked so hard for.

"Chakotay I'm sorry…It's just….." Kolopak trailed off, saddened that his conversations with his son always seemed to find ways to turn into arguments, especially of late since the treaty talks with the Cardassians had left the whole of the Dorvan system, as well and many others colonies, in a state of limbo. "Of course I'm happy and I couldn't be prouder of you. You knew what you wanted to do with your life and you managed to achieve it. That's not something everyone can say." he said honestly as he looked around at the sleek ultra-modem buildings around them. To his eyes it all seemed contrived, false even, just a misleading façade of order.

Chakotay smiled at his father, he knew that Kolopak would likely never fully accept this part of his life, but at least he was making an effort. He also knew that the fates of the colonies in and around the Cardassian DMZ weighed heavily on both their minds. Chakotay hoped that the Federation councillors would come to their senses and tell the Cardassians where to stick their request for the DMZ's colonies, however being a realist he knew that was not likely to happen. It didn't help matters that the 'Maquis', some kind of guerilla movement, was causing trouble within the DMZ. He hoped his people and especially his father would stay out of trouble. "Dad, I know you properly don't want to hear this, but..." Chakotay began, trying to find the right words.

"If this is about me abandoning our home you can forget about it Chakotay!" Kolopak told his son firmly, his weathered face contouring in anger.

"It's not abandoning…..it's…." He struggled to reply before trailing off. "Look Dad, I don't like the idea any more than you! I'm just saying it might safer if you come to live on Earth until the Federation Council rips up this treaty…" Chakotay said, feeling frustration build within him as he realised the argument sounded hollow even to his own ears. He had to hope that he could salvage this conversation, make it stick better than the last time he had brought it up or the time before that.

"We have had this talk before Chakotay… I'm not leaving my…our home just because your Starfleet friends don't have the courage to stand up to Cardassians!" Kolopak responded hotly as he took a step away from his son.

"What would you know about my friends?" Chakotay demanded, "And besides it won't be forever! Please, could you try being reasonable for once in your life…." He exclaimed, regretting his frustration filled words as soon as they left his mouth. "I'm sorry Dad, I didn't mean that…I don't want us to fight…" Chakotay pleaded as his father started to walk away.

"Obviously." Kolopak muttered contemptuously, "You never did fight for anything that mattered." Kolopak turned his back on his son sharply as he began to feel a tear slip down his face.

"Fine! Be that way!" Chakotay yelled as is father walked away, "Just don't come crying to me when the Cardies come…" he choked out as the memory faded into mist. Seven of Nine saw that the two men would not speak to each other again for some time to come.

Seven of Nine witnessed some of the early years of Chakotay's career as a Starfleet officer, seeing many of his adventures and embarrassments. He swiftly rose through the ranks. Until, that is, the day he received the news of his father's death and the destruction of Dorvan V at the hands of Cardassian's. Fortunately his sister had been living on Earth for quite some time so she at least was spared.

Chakotay had been walking alone through the ashy wasteland that had once been his home town for what seemed like an age. He had happened upon some of the burnt bodies of people he had grown up with. Some were lying in the street, others in the husk of burnt out or crumbling buildings. He buried those he could, but the death toll was too great for one man to deal with. Time passed slowly, as if he was walking in a dreamlike haze, as he approached the outskirts of the town where he happened across a large, badly injured husky which seemed to be standing guard over his dead owner's body. To call it a body was an overstatement, there was little left. The large dog whimpered and looked up with him with pleading eyes. He bent stiffly to his knees, "Come here boy…" Chakotay called, patting the dog on the head and pouring some water from his hip flask which the dog drank greedily. Chakotay pulled his phaser out his back pocket, and setting it to kill he held the dog close so not to spoke the dying animal "It's all right…it's all going to be all right…" he cooed as he fired the phaser. The dog slumped over in his arms. He then took his time burying both the dog and what was left of it's master. Then Chakotay walked off into the ashy desert, it didn't take him long to reach his destination. It was his home, or what was left of it which wasn't much. A few broken windows, some collapsing walls. Oddly enough, the porch chair he had made in middle school for his dad had survived. He found some family photos. Many of the frames were cracked or the images blackened by the ash that now filled the air. He found one of the last remnants of his mother's life, a violin. He remembered how she had tried to teach both him and Sekaya how to play it, but neither of them had her gift for music. He picked it up carefully and put it inside a large duffel bag he had brought with him alongside some of the photos and a few other odds and ends he had salvaged. He left the ruin of his house and fell to his knees atop a mound of blackened and gritty earth as his emotions finally overwhelmed him. Grey and red ash swept around him as the wind picked up. Shards of glass cut into his smoke smeared skin as wind howled, sounding like the moans of a dying animal as it blew though the broken building and the burnt twisted trees of the forest he had played in as a child. A seething rage filled him to the core even as tears burned down his cheeks.

"…I'm sorry Dad, I'm so sorry…You were right about…everything…" Chakotay ground out. There was nothing left here but ashes and death. "I….swear to all the spirits that the people who did this will not get away….." he vowed. Grief, rage, hate, and furious vengeance filled him to his core until there was little else left. The angry warrior that hid inside the cage of his soul was now freed. He dug the Lieutenant Commander pips from his front pockets and dropped them. The soft ash and dust of this dying world now buried the man he had been, forgotten and abandoned. As he staggered away, any sign that he had ever been there seemed to be blown aside by the mourning wind. That memory, like those before it, melted into the background so others could take its place.

Seven of Nine saw, and lived through the agony of, many of the hard decisions that Chakotay had made in his downward spiral of self-destruction. He severed his ties to his sister. He joined the Maquis in order to satisfy his need for either justice or vengeance, even he hadn't been sure which. Soon enough Chakotay became one of the Maquis' most accomplished and respected leaders. He hastily entered into a poisonous sexual relationship with a woman called Seska. Eventually Chakotay and his crew found themselves in the Delta Quadrant and having to ally themselves with Captain Janeway and Voyager's crew. The Caretaker, an alien who guarded the Ocampan home world, was near death and had stolen both ships and their crews in a vain attempt to harvest compatible bio matter to produce offspring to repay on his debt to the Ocampa. Both crews soon came under attack by the worthless Kazon, whom wished to take the Caretaker's array for themselves, although Seven of Nine knew this would likely have only led to the Kazon's ultimate destruction as even the Collective had never gained a full understanding of Caretaker technology. Dimly, a dislocated sadness flared within her, the humans' act of nobilty had been pointless. In the ensuing battle Chakotay had sacrificed his ship 'Val Jean' to destroy one of the Kazon battle carriers, saving Voyager and both crews in the process. Ultimately Voyager destroyed the array but in doing so had stranding itself in the Delta Quadrant. The Maquis soon became crewmembers alongside the Starfleet officers that had once been hunting them. Though the first years were hard, the trials they faced bound the crew together. The rift between the Starfleet crew and the Maquis rebels slowly healed, however greater threats soon revealed themselves. Seska, having been rejected by Chakotay and revealed as a Cardassian spy who left Voyager to ingratiate herself with the Kazon Nistrim, was driven into a delusional psychosis as she tried and failed to take over Voyager multiple times. Ultimately her obsession led to her death.

The drone, which Seven of Nine still was, was confused to 'feel' the level of anguish this infected on Chakotay at the time and how these events still haunted him. 'Why?' She found asking in bewilderment. 'Why would he be so damaged by the destruction of an aggressor that threatened his crew's survival?' It was Irrational! If emotions led to such conflicted thoughts, then the Collective was correct to purge themselves of this affliction. Even though these beliefs held her in their unbreakable grip, she found herself slipping progressively deeper into the chaos of his mind and away from Borg perfection. More memories penetrated her turbulent mind as Chakotay survived many more tragedies as Voyager continued it troubled journey. Events conspired to him being 'saved' by a group of rogue former drones who called themselves the 'Co-operative'. Their leader, a woman named Riley, used the Neuro interlink to heal Chakotay of mortal wounds. Soon enough, Riley revealed her true colours after using the link to seduce Chakotay in order to later use him as her tool to take complete control of the population of former drones. More memories came and went without leaving many significant impressions on 'their' link. Soon enough his latest memories fell into place, revealing his many heated arguments with Captain Janeway over their involvement in the war that raged between the Borg and Species 8472. She burned with the anger he felt when she and the other drones in her temporary Unimatrix gained entry to the ship. She was confused once more, and in a more profound way, at feeling the level of guilt he experienced over killing the other drones. Again she had to ask herself, 'Why?'

* * *

><p>As Seven of Nine relived Chakotay memories, Chakotay himself was relieving Seven of Nine's own. He expected to be shown a vivid mix of horrors beyond imagination, not the seductive beauty of individual experience similar to what he experienced when he had shared Co-operative's link.<p>

He was shocked to his core when Seven of Nine's memories started flowing over him like a wave over a beach. He couldn't make out all of her memories as many were veiled by the fog of time and warped ideals of the Collective but he could sense them drifting around him, reaching out tentatively for his mind's eye.

Chakotay wasn't presented with countless assimilations or other brutalities. All he saw was her as she had once been, just the little girl she had been before she was transformed into the monster before him. Her younger self had long, light blonde hair that seemed to catch the sun's golden rays in its long waves. Her eyes were the palest sky blue and full of mischief and joy. Her skin was still pale but not the deathly grey skin she was afflicted with now. She was free, happy and safe playing with friends and family and having adventures.

She was running in a field of tall grass and flowers in bloom as two older people, her parents he realised, chased after her but every time they neared she outmanoeuvred with a speed and grace that only a child could achieve.

"Annika, slow down! This isn't how you play hide and seek!" The man chasing after her called out, his frame was tall, a broad shouldered man with dark blond hair and pale blue eyes that mirrored his daughter's. As Annika's father talked, Chakotay soon realized the small family were not English speakers. The link had eradicated the language barrier between them but if he had to guess they were speaking one of the of Scandinavian or Germanic languages, which he could not say.

"But Papa hide and seek is no fun, this is much better!" Annika exclaimed with a giggle as she outmanoeuvred her father once again and he fell face first into a puddle of mud, to both Annika's and her mother's amusement.

"She's got a point Magnus, that was fun for us." His wife said with a smirk as she managed to catch their daughter and held a giggling Annika in her arms. She was a tall, beautiful, blonde headed woman with light green eyes which danced with humour.

"Huh, it figures you would find this funny Erin, you always enjoyed embarrassing me." Magnus grumbled as he reached out his hand for his wife to help him out of the mud hole but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled both his wife and daughter down into the mud with him. Both mother and daughter shrieked as they themselves were covered in mud, now giving their father and husband hard looks before pouncing on him and wrestling in the mud. Joyous laughter soon filled the memory.

* * *

><p>Not all her memories were as clear as that beautiful moment. Most of the others were vague, half remembered moments obscured by the fog of time. The moments she remembered were often reluctant to show themselves but they could not flee from the light that pierced the veil of the Collective's iron control.<p>

Her parents had spent the day moving the last of their possessions from a small storage unit to their waiting ship docked at an unremarkable space dock. They had dragged a reluctant Annika with them throughout most of the day. Her parents had grown increasingly tried and grumpy at their heavy labour, as they finally finished their relocation, their young daughter hovered just outside the main air lock. There was a look of sad confusion on her young, unblemished face as she hugged a large rag doll to her chest.

"Please don't dawdle honey…. we have a long trip ahead of us." Erin said in a tired, stressed voice. Her light green eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she gave her young child a pleading look not to cause trouble so late in the day.

"But Mama I don't want to leave home…What about Auntie Rini and Uncle Harold and my friends?" Annika asked thickly. As she said that her young face changed into a saddened, conflicted version of itself.

"Anni, you know we talked about this. We are looking for people that no one has never met before, it's very important." Magnus explained, giving Annika a kind but tried smile as he waked over to pick Annika up and remove her from the air lock's threshold, then walked through the ship and sat a weary Annika down on a large cushioned chair on their small bridge.

Then it clicked in Chakotay's mind, 'They went looking for the Borg and they took their little girl with them! My God, no wonder she didn't remember. Seven of Nine, or this Annika, was just a little girl when it all happened.' Chakotay felt rage build within him. He was more convinced than ever that he had to break the Borg's stranglehold on Seven of Nine. He was determined to stop this girl's fate from being forced on his crew.

"They're not called metal people honey, they're called the Borg and they don't live near here so we have to find them to prove they are real." Erin told her child.

"So are there story books about them?" Annika asked, excited even if she did not fully understand. "Like my bed time stories?" she added innocently.

An amused smirk pulled had Magnus face at his child's comparison "Well, we don't know. That's why we're leaving home so we can learn about them, but what we do know is they have technology in their bodies like computer components and microchips…" Magnus told her kindly, pausing his explanation as he could see his child start to understand, only for his wife to give him a hard look as is to say 'Stop, you'll give her nightmares'.

Erin took her daughter's hand and guided her over to a nearby wall, "Come on take a look at this sweetie." She suggested. Annika looked up at the wall to see a small gold plated plaque. "Can you tell me what that says?" her mother asked.

"Yes Mama!" she replied happily. Annika than began to read the words on the plaque, "U.S.S. Raven…Crew: Magnus Hansen, Erin Hansen, Annika Hansen….That's me!" Annika exclaimed with a giggle. She then focused on the last words below the names of their family. 'Rimor occasus ignotus' Chakotay's Latin was rusty but he believed the words translated to exploring the unknown. Below the ship's name, crew manifest and the Latin inscription there was a large raven with it wings spread out, as if in flight, emblazoned into the metal. "What are those funny words Papa?" she questioned inquisitively.

"The words are from Latin honey, that's a very old Earth language." Magnus told her.

"They look silly…" Annika mumbled, to both her parents' amusement as she stifled a yawn.

"Looks like someone's ready for bed…" Erin murmured coaxingly to her daughter.

"But Mama!" Annika objected, "I want to wave bye-bye!" She shook her head obstinately, with a determination shining in her blue eyes that belied her age.

"Okay, you can wave bye-bye, but then it's straight to bed. Okay?" Erin told her young child who nodded in agreement.

Though Annika did try her best to stay awake to wave a fond farewell to their home, she soon fell into a deep sleep on the large cushioned chair, a blanket wrapped around her small frame as she still cuddled into the large rag doll she seemed to take everywhere with her.

"All lights green on our end, preparing to disengage air lock." Magnus said to a view screen which showed two tired people on duty.

"U.S.S Raven, all flight checks are clear on our end." said a dark skinned man. His old, weary face spoke of a man clearly exhausted from too many late nights. He was wearing the overalls of a low level dock worker.

"Good luck and have a safe trip." The other dock worker, a young green skinned Orion woman, said warmly.

"Will do" Erin replied, looking at her husband and then to her young daughter with a gentle smile. "She tried her best," she told Magnus quietly as she walked away from the bridge controls where Magnus still worked as he piloted the small ship away from the dock, giving them one last look at the planet much like Earth at night. As hundreds of thousands of small lights shone on through the night on the planet's surface it was like some great mirror reflecting the countless stars of space. Erin laid a light kiss on Annika's forehead and brushed away some of her long unruly white-blonde hair from her face. "We're doing the right thing, aren't we Magnus?" Erin asked with a pleading quietness as she looking away from Annika and back to her husband.

Magnus walked away from the helm control to hug his wife and kissed her lightly on the lips. "We are honey, try not to worry so much, okay?" He said with a reassuring smile. He then picked up a sleeping Annika, being careful not to wake her, and placed her in her own bed as her parents retired to their own room.

For Chakotay time passed like as if he was in a dream as time and Seven of Nine's memories took on a hazy nature, the small family's voyage lengthened into weeks then weeks turned into months and then years.

He only got a fleeting impression of some moments. Despite her unusual upbringing, Annika grew brighter under her parents care and love. Chakotay was often impressed by how much intelligence Annika showed at such a young age. As her memories grew in strength they also grew darker until one day when the small ship rocked like a toy boat set into a raging sea. The lights and computer systems blinked on and off at random creating frightening shadows as the ship rocked to and fro.

"Erin, where is that power re-route? We need to get the multi-phasic shields back online before they see us!" Magnus Hansen yelled as the lights blinked on and off, plunging the ship into frightful darkness.

"I'm doing all I can Magnus!" Erin hissed. She managed to type in the right codes despite the shaking ship. "There, we have power back!" she exclaimed in relief as the power came back on.

"Thank god the multi-phasic shields are up again!" Magnus Hansen told his wife, sighing as he slumped into a battered chair.

"How long were they down?" Erin asked, concern ageing her otherwise pretty face.

"12 seconds. I don't think they saw us." Magnus said, breathing another sigh as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"Were the hell did that ion storm come from?" Erin asked "That was two close calls in two days!" she exclaimed hotly. "It wasn't supposed to be like this Magnus!"

"I know honey, I know, but we've had close calls before, and the risk is worth it you'll see. Especially with that new Borg vessel in the area, I mean, did you see the size of it? We have never seen anything like it before!" Magnus said emphatically, getting up from his chair to hug his wife but Erin put her slim hand to his broad chest to stop him in his tracks.

"To hell with the Borg Magnus! This is our family were talking about! As soon as those ships are out of the area we're leaving, do you hear me!" Erin snapped at her husband. Her words hit Magnus hard, he seemed cowed by his wife's outburst.

"I know …I have asked too much of you and Annika, it's time we start to head for…." Magnus said before he was interrupted.

Neither of them had noticed Annika standing in the doorway. "Mama, Papa, what's happening?" Annika said in a small, fearful voice. She was wearing a white nightgown. Tears were forming in her large sky blue eyes. She had grown since the Chakotay had last had a clear memory of her, if he had to guess she was at least six.

"Oh Anni sweetie, it's all over now. We're safe, it was just a space storm, alright?" Erin reassured her shakily, running over to hug a tearful Annika.

"We made the Borg mad, didn't we?" Annika asked, she was clearly scared out of her wits but she had enough sense to know she was being lied to.

"Honey it's alright, they didn't even see us, so don't worry, okay?" Magnus Hansen told his child softly but did not go to comfort her as he was still working on the controls of the bridge

"Papa, I'm scared. I don't like it here, I want to go home." Annika whimpered as she started to sniffle, as if about to cry.

"I know you do Anni, but there is nothing to fear alright… We will be going home soon. But you know home is a very long way away, right?" Magnus told her with harsh calm.

"I know Papa but…" Annika began. She was cut off when the little ship shook again and they all swayed and rocked on their feet, the small family held onto whatever they could.

Then they saw 'it'. Chakotay had no doubt that this was largest space craft he had ever seen. The mere sight of it turned his blood to ice. He was left in awe at the scale of the vessel which filled the view screen. It looked like gigantic diamond in space surrounded by huge rings of metal the entire ship was berthed in the vilest green. The monstrous ship was not alone as two cubes flouted hear it like lap dogs to some mythical giant.

"MY GOD….Magnus they've seen us!" Erin yelled, the colour draining from her face as she let go of her child and ran over to the closest computer.

"WE ARE THE BORG. Existence as you know it is over. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. You will adapt to service us. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." The monotone voice of the Borg shook the Raven as the three massive ships edged closer to the small ship.

"The shields are up, how can they be seeing us?" Magnus said, rushing over one of the other computers.

"They must have adapted somehow!" Erin exclaimed.

"Mama, Papa, I don't won't be a drone!" Annika wailed, fat tears started flowing down her face as she tried to hold on to her mother's leg.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll get out here… okay?" Erin said, trying to calm her wailing child down while prying herself free of Annika's iron grip on her leg. "We need you to be a big girl for us and go to your room." Erin instructed even as the blaring of red alert began to overwhelm her voice.

"Erin, I need you here! We need time to modulate the shield if we going to stand a chance!" Magnus shouted to his wife.

She raced over to a nearby computer console "I'm reading a class two nebula 1.5 light years off to port ,that might give us some time!" Erin told her husband as the ship shook as Magnus performed flight manoeuvres that even Tom Paris would call reckless.

"We going to be assimilated." Annika stated as all the colour left her young face. The ship shook again and the light blinked on and off as the small ship just managed to outmaneuver one of the Borg Cubes. "Will it hurt to be a drone?" Annika asked her young voice full of fear and reassertion. Chakotay felt a little piece of himself die with those words, her parents were ignoring her so completely he felt as if the question was directed at him.

"Annika, go now!" Magnus snapped angrily as the ship shook and the bridge was bathed in green light from another near miss.

* * *

><p>At his instruction Annika ran for her room, then the memories changed once again. The U.S.S Raven had entered its death throes as it started shaking itself apart. The ship was plunged into darkness as the lights gave out. Steam and sparks spat from every console. The view ports that were supposed to be filled with the vastness of space were instead filled with the sight of a Borg cube that was running them down like a wolf bearing down on a helpless lamb, ready to make the kill. It was ironic that the only constant light was the baleful green that shone from the cube as it closed in.<p>

Annika fled her room tears flowed down her pail face a small drops a rube blood splatted her otherwise petty dress. The ship heaved and she was tossed to the floor by the shaking and smashed her right knee into the unforgiving metal floor and it had just now started to bleed. Then she saw it. A drone, it had once been male but now was a walking nightmare. Its entire left hand had been replaced with a wicked saw, its other hand was a metal covered claw not unlike a crab pincer and at some point it had been given a third humanoid arm that sprouted from its right shoulder. It had three eyes, two of which had been replaced with boxy implants, the real eye was grey and glassy. Her mother evaded a swipe from its saw hand then it turned to see Annika frozen to the spot.

Erin ran towards her daughter. "Annika run!" she screamed as a huge Borg drone slammed into her and started to pin her to the ground. It was about to stick its assimilation tubes in her neck but was shot dead by a well-aimed shoot from Magnus, who then went to save his wife from being beamed away along with the corpse of the drone. That small victory proved futile as the drone was replaced by three others whom appeared in the green flash of a Borg transporter. There was one male, one female and one was of a Species that didn't have distinct sexes.

"Resistance is futile." Boomed the voice of the Borg.

"God, just leave us alone!" Magnus cried out before firing his weapon again but this time it had no effect as the green shield on the drones flashed to life.

"Annika, Erin, hide now!" Magnus yelled at them while his daughter just stood there like a deer in headlights. As he tried to get to her, the drones slowly walked up to each of their soon to be victims.

"Mama!" Annika screamed and pointed to her mother, who had just got up to try and get to her child. It was clear that Erin was hurt badly as she tried to limp away from the drone with no sex. In an instant she was once again pinned to the floor. This time there would be no salvation as the drone plunged its assimilation tubes into Erin's neck like some vampire sucking the life out of its victim. Her skin greyed and a wheel like implant broke through her skin just above her right eye.

"Annika…Annika ruuuuun hide…" Were the last words howled out by Erin as she and the drone assimilating her disappeared in a flash of green light.

"ERIN! NO!" Magnus screamed, having managed to knock back the drone plodding towards him back a few paces. "Annika run! Now! Hide somewhere!" Magnus charged at the drone that was marching toward Annika's frozen body, managing to knock this one on the ground. Annika ran as fast as her little legs could carry her and went to the bridge of the small ship, briefly looking up at the cracked view screen to see a huge desert moon that the Raven was falling towards at high speed. Annika hid under the main console, then turned her head to see her farther get rammed to the floor by the female drone he had just knocked over. He briefly looked up at his daughter with tear filled eyes and mouthed, "I'm so sorry Annika, I love you" before he too had his neck pierced by the drone's assimilation tubes and his eyes went grey and pin point. One eye dissolved into his skull and was replaced by a green laser like eye. Then he too disappeared in a flash of Borg transporter and Annika was left all alone under the main console, shaking in silent fear. She curled up into the foetal position, it was almost as if she'd already died. She didn't even notice the shaking of the room as more drones transported on board and started to rip the ship apart piece by piece. Then a red laser emitted by a drone's eye piece crossed the floor near where Annika was weeping in silence. The red dot found her leg. The drone bent down and reached out a hand, gripping her leg and dragging her out of her hiding place. Annika screamed as loud as she could "Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed trying to fight the drone off with kicks and punches but the drone just paid her assault no mind.

"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." It said and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>The memories abruptly stopped flowing. Chakotay had to cup both hands up to his face to stop himself from openly weeping. He felt utterly drained and overwhelmed, taking his hands away from his face as his regained some balance. He looked at Seven of Nine, or Annika Hansen, she was shaking like a leaf, she was even sweating. The Borg lights around her were no longer in any kind of logical order but they were reshaping slowly.<p>

"Irrelevant ….. It's all irrelevant." Seven of Nine muttered faintly to herself, trying to cope with the deception but failing to do so.

"No, it's not irreverent Annika." Chakotay told her kindly.

"We are not Annika Hansen!" She yelled at him, fear and confusion shining in her one human eye. "We are Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. We are Borg." She stated hotly "You are trying to deceive me…..us." Seven of Nine yelled she desperately tried to hold the flood of memories at bay.

"No I'm not. You know what we just saw about each other is true" Chakotay stated firmly. He knew he had push now, harder than he had before, it was now or never. He only hoped that the Doctor and B'Elanna were ready. "I'm sorry Annika for all you been though but you need to remember who you are!" Chakotay told her thickly.

"WE KNOW…. WHO I AM!" Seven of Nine screamed at him.

"No, I don't you think you do, because they are lying to you. Annika, everything the Borg have done to you is evil, you have to see that!" Chakotay told her passionately.

"STOP! STOP CALLING ME BY THAT DESIGNATION!." Seven of Nine cried in a pleading voice.

"That's who you are and now you need to see the truth, don't fight it!" Chakotay told her, increasing his assault, showing her all the memories he had seen, each one again hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"NO!" Seven of Nine screamed at him as she cupped her ears as if trying to block him out.

"What do you remember? What did you like? What did you hate?" he asked, seeing her waver and become even more confused. "Who did you love? What food did you like? What was your favourite colour?" Chakotay continued, grasping at straws now.

"NO! STOP IT! STOP IT… Please! We…We…. I can't take anymore….. stop it…" Seven of Nine pleaded, her voice breaking into sobs as tears started flowing down from her real eye, and for the first time Chakotay could see real human fear and misery reflected in her sky blue eye. "Don't take them away from me…."

"You don't need them anymore. Leave them. It's time to come home Annika." Chakotay told her.

Seven of Nine started to cry as the Borg lights all but deserted her and her mind started to shatter under the pressure of her own memories. Even as the Neuro interlink started to flicker in and out.

* * *

><p>"The link is destabilising, it's now or never Lieutenant!" the Doctor said to B'Elanna Torres, looking over to the half Klingon who was working on a console nearby.<p>

"Right, done." B'Elanna said, hitting the final button. Then a power surge made its way quickly to the bridge.

* * *

><p>Seven of Nine was still standing on the bridge hooked up to the helm when the power surge hit her full force, the lights on the console she had been trying to assimilate sparked violently, the power travelling up into her. She let out a scream of such pain and anguish that no one on the bridge would ever forget hearing it, then she collapsed to the floor, her body smoking. Tuvok walked up calmly and scanned her with his tricorder.<p>

"Well?" Janeway asked, awaiting the news as she looked down at Seven of Nine's crumpled body.

"Her link to the Collective has been severed. But her body has taken severe damage from the power surge, I suggest we take her to sickbay at once." Tuvok told her impassively.

"Good and keep a guard on her at all times, if anything comes up call me immediately." Janeway ordered "Something tells me this is going to be a bumpy ride." Janeway added grimly.

"Indeed Captain." Tuvok commented. He reached down and picked Seven of Nine's still smoking body up, the smell of burnt flesh and metal coming off her in nauseating waves. He placed her on a medical stretcher that some bridge crew members had brought forward. Then they took her into the turbo lift.

"What the hell was all that about?" Tom asked, having picked himself up off the floor. One of the other bridge crew members was running a dermal regenerator over a cut on his arm and putting an ice pack on his head.

"The long and short of it is we just disconnected Seven of Nine from the Borg Collective and she will be staying with us from now on." Janeway informed the bridge crew, who all had puzzled expressions, but if there was any backlash for her declaration it had yet to germinate. For the time being her crew were reduced to a stupor.

"Pretty sneaky Captain, remind me never play you at poker." Tom said with a forced grin, holding the ice pack to his head.

Kathryn lightly tapped her com badge "Captain Janeway to cargo bay two. Doctor, can you hear me?" Janeway asked after pressing the com badge again, but nothing other than static responded.

"Captain, all internal communications are off line. It seems that a number of systems have been overrun with Borg modifications." Harry informed his captain, "Give me a minute and I think I'll be able to find a way around them."

"Go ahead Harry." She told him. "Okay people, our first priority is to get this ship back in working order. Tom, I don't want to be here when the Borg come looking for us." Janeway ordered as the crew rushed around to comply with her demands.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Tom said, jumping on what was left of the still smoking helm.

"Kes, I want you in the sick bay, we'll have a lot of injured people." Janeway then gave Kes look of great concern as she knew her young friend had a rough time over the last few weeks and hoped she was not asking too much of her.

Kes saw the look of concern on the Captain's face. "Don't worry Captain, I've never felt better" she said giving the Captain a smile before dreamily leaving the bridge.

* * *

><p>The neuro realm was fading fast, flicking in and out of existence. Seven of Nine was recovering, although slowly. The baleful green of the Collective's will started to manifest itself again as lines of sickening information and stared to wrap around her like tentacles of some horrific monster.<p>

Then green lights of Borg awareness disappeared and Seven of Nine was left standing in her corner completely alone as a flaming light that shone like a million stars exploding into super nova all at once appeared consumed them both. "ARGHHHHHH!" Seven of Nine and Chakotay shared the scream of pain as their minds were brutally wrenched apart. Just as the realm fell into nothingness Chakotay saw someone standing by Seven of Nine's side. It was Annika Hansen as he had last seen her, holding one of the drone's hands. Annika Hansen looked him straight in the eye and gave him the biggest, warmest smile he had ever seen. "Thank you." Annika told him kindly. The realm completely fell apart as everything went dark.

* * *

><p><strong>Sick bay<strong>

In the hours sense the end of the short lived alliance between the Borg and the Voyage crew the sick had hive of activity for hours, treating the injured crew members that had flooded in from their last battle with the alien's known only as species 8472.

Now with the bulk of those injured having been treated the crew had been all too willing to file out again so the Doctor and Kes could concentrate on treating their two remaining patients. Commander Chakotay who lay asleep on one of the bio beds on the fare left of the sick bay having collapsed into a coma like state after the power serge had violently feedback into him when the link with Seven of nine was broken. The drone woman Seven of nine, herself was in coma, occupying the main bio bed under the ever watchful gazes of the Doctor and Tuvok along with the best of Tuvok's security team.

Chakotay slowly awoke, pushing the last vestiges of a strange dream from his mind. He had the sense that he'd been floating in darkness with no since of time space or self, he hadn't been alone tho that much he was certain some else had floated with him had even called out but that to slipped away as memories of the last twenty four rushed back into his fragile mind filling the void and submerging all other thoughts. Panic set in as his eyes started to flicker open he could only see a green haze. For one heart stopping moment he thought he had failed and doomed his crew to the lifelong horror of being Borg and even now the Collative were assimilating them. His mind cleared slowly as he realized his thoughts were still his own. He was still himself, breathing a heavy tried shy only how did he realise how tried he was, it seemed as if every cell in his body had participated in a marathon whole been run over by a truck and set a flame. The neuro transverse in his upper neck was partially sour but unlike the rest of his body it ran cold and felt let ice coursing down his back.

He finally blinked and the colour's changed to from greenish to bright yellows, dull blues and sombre greys. He realised he was staring up into the dim lights of sickbay. He let out a low mown of pain. Then someone's face came into view for a few moments it looked like a pinkish yellow blob but as more of the haze lifted from his pain mind. Chakotay found himself looking up at the secrecy smiling face of Kes.

"How are you felling Commander?" Kes asked sweetly as she un did the straps that held the commander down. She and the Doctor had to strap down both the commander and the Borg woman Seven of nine too their receptive bio beds as both had been extremely valiant after their link had been broken but their confused rage had not lasted long and soon both fell into an uneasy come. She had never seen the Commander be anything other than kind and considerate have seen the rage that had filled him disturbed her greatly.

Chakotay groaned he almost felt like he was going to be sick. He fought the nausea that threaten to overwhelm him and burst forth, down. He felt it burn his throat as he forced it down "Ugg….Kes you wouldn't know what a truck is would you?" Chakotay asked with a grown of pain.

"I'm afraid not Commander" Kes answered as she shook her head in confusion.

"Then pray you're never run over by one… because that's what this fells like …. After been hit by lighting…ugg… and set on fire" Chakotay groaned shaking, fog from his mind. He tried to get up but Kes hayed a hand on his shoulder as if to stop him. He gave her a look a bemusement.

"The Doctor said you're to lay still until he can get to you" Kes told the Commander putting as much authority in her quite voice possible. However one thing she knew she was not good at authority especial where Commander Chakotay was concerned. She liked him well enough and Chakotay was always been courteous around her it just in the three years she knew him they never bonded. She suspected they had very little in common.

Chakotay tried again to get up but was stopped in his tracks by a new wave of pain that overcame him and he slummed down to the bio bed. "Can you at least do something about my headache?" he asked groaning.

"Of course Commander, sorry" Kes said apologetic. She then did a scan with a medical tricorder after reading the information on its small display she surmised that 30ml of Lamkic 8 would do the trick. She walked off to the medic replicator and was about to issue the order for a hypo spray when something weird happed a small ball of bluish light no bigger than a finger nail left her hand and entered the replicator and a hypo spay of Lamkic 8 just a appeared inside the machine. "That was weird" she muttered shaking her head, she must have imagined it. She picked up the hypo spay and walked back to the Commander and pressed the spray into his dark skinned neck. "Better?" Kes asked.

Chakotay felt the effects verity instantly as a wave of relief flowed over him. "Much, thanks Kes" Chakotay told her and was rewarded with one of her trade mark serene smiles however now he found that smile a little off. He couldn't quite explain it to himself perhaps it was the slight headache or some after effect of his neuro link but for whatever reason her smile was downright creepy. Kes seemed to senses his discomfit and stopped smiling. "So I take it since were not all drones, it worked?" he asked politely. Shaking himself of the odd sensation. Kes nodded and pointed over to the main bio bed were the Doctor and Tuvok seemed to be having an argument over something.

Chakotay's line of sight was slightly blocked by the Vulcan and the hologram. He gave a little start when he saw 'her' lying. Seven of nine or was it Annika Hansen. Even now he didn't know which one she was. Was she the drone? Or the sacred little girl? Whoever she was or had been, she was now seeming asleep, her body still encased in Borg armour and implants. "So how long have I been out anyway?" He asked as he got up slowly, Kes tried to keep him on the bio bed, but saw her efforts would be futile.

"About fourteen hours, you had us all very worried Commander" Kes told him evenly

'Fourteen hours, well that explains why Kathryn wasn't in sick bay waiting from him to awaken as she would normal do if he had been seriously injured as he would for her in the past. Then again had she even come to see how he was doing?' he thought bitterly. He almost asked Kes whether Kathryn had been hear or not but pushed the question out of his mind. Know need to poke the hornets' nest. He caught another glance of the drone woman. He had done this he was responsible for the hell that poor woman was about to be suggested to and tho nearly very thought in his been raged at him to leave her to her fate he could not. He had to know it had been worth it and he wouldn't be the kind of man he wanted to be if he just left her. He steadily got up from the bio bed and walked over to the main bio bed and cleared his throat to get to two arguing men's attention.

"Ah Commander you're finally awake" the Doctor said looking over to Kes with a raised eye brow. Kes merely shrugged her shoulders and went back to her own work. He had told her to come get him when Chakotay started woke up. 'No matter' he thought it was like what they say 'if you have lemons make lemon aid'. He had been trying to get Tuvok off his back about all his security nonsense. He was a Doctor not some muscle bond goon! He hoped that Commander Chakotay would get Tuvok of his back of. Not for the first time since he was activated he knew just how the famous Dr. Leonard McCoy must have felt having to dealing with Spock all those years ago. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Chakotay knew the look in the Doctor's eye all too well, it meat he was up to something that never ended well. It usually meant a headache for whoever was involved and he only just got rid his headache he didn't need a new one. "As well as to be expected" Chakotay told him impassively. "A Status report if you please Tuvok?" he asked then saw the Doctor deflate a little reminding him of balloon. Chakotay didn't consider himself a petty man but when the Doctor was up to something it was in everyone's best interests to blow a little wind out of the Doctor sail. Otherwise they would risk his ego growing evermore out of control.

"Of course", Tuvok was pleased with Chakotay's prioritization and produced a number of data padd's filled with after action reports from department heads and the ins and outs of Voyagers actions that Chakotay had missed while in his coma.

Chakotay took the padd's and gave them a quick once over. "Good work Tuvok" Chakotay complemented then looking back at the Doctor. He saw the holographic man giving both him and Tuvok what the Doctor not doubt thought was his best hot glare, it only made the his eyes bulge in an almost cartoonish fusion. "What seems to be the matter Doctor?" Chakotay asked.

"The matter is that Mr. Tuvok has turned my sickbay into a barrack!" The Doctor waved his arms in exasperation, pointed accusingly at the security officers which there were at least ten of, all of whom were heavy armed.

'Ten does seem a little excessive,' Chakotay thought for a moment then looked back Seven of nine's sleeping form then back to the officers around the sickbay. 'Then again ten might not be enough.' He thought bitterly. "I assume you have locked out all major systems to stop her gaining control of Voyager?" he asked Tuvok.

The Doctor immediate interrupted "Oh yes he did and I bet he's quite proud of those encryptions, even though they stop me from doing any real work! Need I remind you that despite Seven of nine's nature she is still a patient under my care and unless you what me to break out the leaches. You will have him lessen the restrictions!" The Doctor shouted as the programs responsible for his facial expressions colored his checks a deep red. He caught the Commanders dark glare and guessed he had gone too far. Under normal circumstances no doubt the Commander would have had his hide for his last remark but fortunately for him the commander seemed distracted but he knew that he shouldn't push his luck.

"I made special consideration in regards to the medical systems Doctor but there must also.." Tuvok said impassively.

"OK enough" Chakotay interrupted Tuvok's no doubt logic speech and there was no doubt in his mind that the Doctor was exaggerating but he wasn't in the mood to play mediator in their arguments. "You both have very well made points so let's compromise! Tuvok I think three security offices under your direct command will be able to handle one sick drone. Install what security systems you need but keep them minimal as possible. Doctor like it or not Seven of nine could be a treat for the foreseeable future, some precisions will be needed." He saw that the Doctor was about to make an augment he raised his hand to stop the Doctors impassioned speech before it began "I'm not saying that will be the case forever but for the moment we need to keep this crew safe, all this crew" he said hoping that playing a little of the devil's advocate would pacify the hologram.

"Very well I try it, Your way! Commander" the Doctor said reluctantly giving Tuvok his best evil eye.

"That is a most reasonable compromise Commander" Tuvok said complementing Chakotay logic. Tuvok walked off to dismiss the unneeded Security offices who didn't need to be told twice about leaving the sickbay.

The Doctor picking up a hypospray from a table and pressed it into Seven of nine's exposed skin below her chin. The Doctor then went about scanning but a troubled look on the holograms winked face. "So Doctor what's Ann… "He crocked having almost said her human name. "What's her Status? Will she live?" Chakotay asked looking down at Seven of nine's body for the first time having tried not to look at her. Until his guilt got the better of him making him look. As far as he could tell she was completely unconscious. The Doctor hadn't started removing her implants yet. Even now her body seemed to being crushed under the weight of her own armour as she struggled just to breathe. It might have been his imagination but in places some of her implants or armour had taken on the brownish colour of rust. What really stocked him was her face. It wasn't the metal that scared her face nor was it her skin which was the pallor of a corpse. Know that wasn't what had caught his addition. Her face was complete at peace as if she was merely asleep her remaining eye lid on was even flickering in in REM. She may be having a dream or a nightmare. Pushing the thought out his head he refocused his gaze on the Doctor.

"The sort answer is maybe, the Damage to her body and implants were far less then I original believed. It would seem that Borg implants are somewhat resist electricity." the Doctor said then saw Chakotay's face flicker with concern. "Not to worry her neuro transverse is as inactive as yours. Whatever you went though you freed this young woman it worked" The Doctor told him putting an almost brotherly hand on Chakotay's shoulder to ease whatever demons the other man was wrestling with.

Chakotay gave the Doctor a look of appreciation and the Doctor removed his hand. "That remains to be seen Doctor…. How old is she?" Chakotay asked he didn't entirely know why he asked that but it felt wrong not to know.

"That's a little compacted her implants have made it difficult to ascertain her true age but if I had to bet I would say she's 23 or 24 but I won't know more until I start sugary Tomorrow" the Doctor told him.

"Why have you waited this long I thought the Captain would have wanted to start state away?" Chakotay asked.

"Initially Captain Janeway did want to start today but I convinced her that it would be best to wait until all of Seven of nine's injury's from the power surge could be repaired and I had time to study her biology and technology. However in the last few hours I have discovered something very unnerving with our Borg's techno-biology" the Doctor told Chakotay.

"Unnerving in what way Doctor?" Chakotay asked felling a chill run up his aching back.

"Her Human biology has starting to reject her Borg implants at a fighting rate I never expected her body's systems to kick back so quickly for someone who has been a drone for so long it's….. Unexpected and is quickly becoming a problem." The Doctor said then saw Chakotay's confused face. "You see Commander now there is nothing stopping her body's systems from coming back and they have come back, with a vengeance. They are attacking and rejecting her implants and those same implants control her bodily systems and they're not going quietly, her own body is tearing itself apart." The Doctor told Chakotay who expression was unreadable however he did see real concern and even pity in the other man face when by all right there should have only been anger even hatred.

"Do whatever you need to save her Doctor" Chakotay said before taking one final glance at the drone woman lying prone on the bio bed he felt a toxic mix of emotions wrap around strap into his heart. He nodded a farewell to the Doctor and the remaining Security offices as he left the sick bay. As he tried desperately to shake the uneasily felling that filled him to his core.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter the Bitter gift part 2 dream time and awaking's<strong>

**Au:**

1st. seven and Chakotay link at the start I know its a bit far fancied but that was something I have always wanted to expand on for as long as I can remember. I won't to explore the Borg neuro interlink more. I may have taken some liberty's but I hope my ideas cam though. You see I wanted a war of the minds. Seven vs Chakotay. I may have given Chakotay a bit of an advantage but hears is my resigning. One he has been connected to former drones before in the episode 'unity' that's how he got the neuro transvers in the first place so he knows how drones think and act under certain situations so he could use this to an advantage.

2. Sense we know nothing about Species 8472 or fluidic space. And we can assume that it is unlikely that any Borg have made it back from fluidic space in one peace. and remember not only is fluidic space made organic matter at that and Species 8472 may be telepathy linked to their realm in some way we just done know and that the point it's a mystery now I is possible that been in fluidic space may have effected Seven in some manner although this is likely only because it is a defeat reality to our own. But who's to say there were no lingering effects that may have affected her connection to the Borg as well as her emotional state. When they came back to our universe shore she said her connection was 'reestablished' but in my mind that's kind of like of like talking on a phone and calling to other counties. Yes you have a concretion shore you talk just fine but you may get some static for lack of a better word and the fact that she wasn't connected as soon as they left fluidic space so there was a delay. Think of it like think call waiting.

3. It is suggested in the two partner "dark frontier" one of the best episodes of star trek voyager that the Borg queen put seven of nine on voyager to understand humanity so the Borg can perfect this nano virus that can assimilate whole populations with minimal effort. Yar we all have our theories about what the queen was really up to because not once that I can remember did she say human when speaking of her plans to assimilate humanity as in the concept rather than humans as Species she only says she what to assimilate humanity so that led me to believe that the queen was grooming seven to become the next queen which is a popular theory out in the star trek Verse and possible evolving the Borg to the next stage of their evolution as it's my personal theory that the Borg have stagnated. Shor they can assimilate a whole Species and gain massive knowledge and power from doing so but if you think about it that's only postponing the inevitable that without massive change to their own nature they are doomed to extinction their war with 8472 and the fact they keep on failing to assimilate humanity and by extension the federation a grope that the queen herself emitted shouldn't pose much if any challenge to the might of the collative proves that the methods that the Borg have used to concur millions are no longer working.


	5. Chapter 5 The Bitter gift part 2

Au: Napayshi means courageous and strong, in some of the Native American languages. Please review I am only encouraged to right if you guys tell me what you think. Also happy holidays this is my gift to all of you.

AN: I don't own star trek in any way shape or form.

**The Bitter Gift part 2**

**Of Dreams and awaking's**

A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

* * *

><p><strong>Voyager<strong>

Once outside the sickbay Chakotay, tried to shake himself of the feeling of unease that had taken up residence in his soul. Almost as if he had awaken from a dream, but had not yet woken up. He felt trapped in that strange landscape where he was neither comfortable by the illusions created by dreams or the sobering truth of reality. Perhaps what was even more unnerving was the similarity to the state of mind he entered when he entered a vision quest. However instead of been greeted buy a sense of peace and tranquillity, he felt a cold loss run though his body and scape at his soul. Try as he might he could not dismiss the feeling. Taking one look back to the closed sick bay doors he felt a shudder run though him forcing him to all but flee down the hall way. Hoping to get as much distance between himself and the drone woman as possible.

He fled sick bay and deck six but could not flee from a strange fevered haze that clung to him twisting Voyager around him into nightmarish shapes as faint images flowed into his mind and soul. He could not call them memories the sensation was akin to paging rapidly thought a picker book but without context the images meant nothing, each stuck out before fading away.

While in that haze he seemly to walk the entirety of the ship but in reality he had only managed to travel a few decks. In his hazed stupor he occasional walked into more than a few bewildered crew members fortunately for him they were too exhausted to probe him for questions. He knew even in his addled state that most of them would come up to some kind of exaggerated rumours by morning to explain their normal unflappable Commanders strange behaviour.

* * *

><p>Eventually the haze that and fogged his mind started to clear but not before he found himself near the doors to cargo bay two. He felt almost like he had been called here by the ghostly sirens wail from some ancient and long forgotten myth. The sirens fell away their last mournful calls leaving him staring at the door to this hunted place. As his tired dark eyes fell upon the cargo bay doors he saw that thick black wires, pipes and other pieces of Borg technology spread over the door like a cancer. Occasional some of it would pulse a sickly green energy. To him some of it even looked like it was growing. This violation of his ship that had been his home for three years brought a cascade of memories back making him nearly buckle from the weight of them.<p>

Those memories' burned in him like the flames of hundred suns. It was much the same feeling he had after the Co-operative had used him. This feeling whatever it was somehow…. defeat. Back than he had seen dozens of memory's and felt himself almost slip into that noisy background had almost been welcoming, warm, loving even. He should have known at the time it was a trick to luau him the right mind set to be used. This element was not present in his link with Seven of Nine their link had being cold, repent, twisted and dark a perversion. Now though it felt like something else like some more was just beyond his reach.

'Had it been because, he instead of almost had been claimed by that void. He had stood on equal ground with her? With the Collative itself? How was that even possible?' he asked himself but his troubled mind gave him no peace and no understanding.

Chakotay felt than her violation had somehow been even worse. 'What right did she have to see my memories?!' His was filled with rage at her intrusion into his mind. He bailed his hands into fists his finger nails pulled at his callused hands. 'It would have been better if she just sucked out into space whit the outer drones!' Even as those hateful thoughts entered his mind he was filled with gilt at the memory of a little girl playing in a field of glass and flowers.

"Who am I to decide who lives and who dies?" Chakotay mutated to himself. He left feeling the last of the troubling haze leave him and continued his journey though Voyager.

* * *

><p>Eventually Chakotay found himself more by luck then design on the bridge. Thinking to himself, if he was intent wondering until the demons he had awakened left him be, he might as well kill two birds with one stone. He took reports from Harry and Tom, whom where on the bridge having a good natured discussion with the other bridge crew as if this was just another day in the Delta quadrant. Sometimes he envied the two younger men their friendship and easy comradely. Though he wasn't quite the recluse that, Kathryn was or at least had been at the start of this journey. She had got better over the past few years but still kept mostly to herself, especial when something bad happed or she didn't get her way. She would sometimes spend hours on end hiding in the holodeck or alone in her quarters refusing to see any one.<p>

Being the first officer and Voyagers un-official Counsellor meant he was more or less the ships middle manager and had far more day to day contact with the bulk of the crew. However some day's he had the exact same problem as Kathryn, after all who counsels the Counsellor?

He wasn't surprised to find that the Captain herself was absent from the bridge but he knew he would have to deal with Kathryn sooner or later he was just glade that he didn't have to deal with her in front of the crew as they had all been living on a powder keg for the last few weeks and he didn't want risk a spark.

Sometime later Chakotay found himself in engineering listening patently to B'Elanna moaning about repairs, all the while looking like she was about exploded at someone he found that the company of his friends and fellow offices helped keep the demons bay but did not complete banish them. He did offer to help but B'Elanna just laughed him off saying "Are you kidding me? Chakotay with your kind of help we'll end up flying home in a tin can!" Having nothing better to do but take to bull by the horns he needed to have it out with Kathryn.

They needed to move on. A good talk may even help heal his and Kathryn's restless spirits, although that might be easier said than done in fact he would rather face a whole Kazon fleet with nothing but a phaser at the moment. "Computer locate, Captain Janeway" Chakotay asked reluctantly.

"Captain Janeway is in holodeck two" the computer's female voice droned.

* * *

><p><strong>Holodeck two <strong>

Kathryn took a sip from a coffee she had replicator nearly ten minutes ago it had lost it warmth and had started to become stagnate but she didn't notice as she wrought on basic lined paper with quill in hand. She sat behind an old worn wooden desk on an cracking old chair that gowned with her movement. "Captains log star date 51003.8. It hasn't even been a day since the end of our alliance with the Borg, but there has been no sign of the collective or any bio-ships. So I am cautiously optimistic as for the first time in weeks the ship seems safe. At least for time been, even so the ship remains at Tactical alert."

"Everyone seems to be handing the situation well, all things consider but remain on edge and I can't blame them, I still feel like the hammer is about drop and it's going to bring all hell down on us but I have to remind myself that for now at least were safe but that feeling won't leave me even hear in the charm of master de Vinci's work shop isn't an enough to ease my mind. Especially when my thoughts are drawn towards our latest requite our Borg drone, Seven of nine. I can't help but wonder what _am I…what are we_ going to do help her."

"And then there is my first office, my friend Chakotay. I understand why Chakotay did what he did. If I was in the same position I might have done the same thing, that doesn't make it any easier. I can't help how I feel, just the thought that even after all we been though. I still might not be able to completely trust him and I need to be able to trust him or everything I've worked on this god forsaken ship will mean nothing."

"I just can't help but wonder what if it happens again, what if I have to make a hard choose for the good of the crew and he just can't see the big picture? That's Chakotay's greatest flaw he's never been good at the big picture." Janeway signed as she finished righting her log down with a quill in hand on basic lined paper. She tried to shake the dark thoughts from her mind but they buzzed like anger bee. She looked around the darken room filled with great works of art and inventions lit by the faint lights of the large fire place and a smattering of candles. She leaned back in the old worn arm chair in which creaked with her weight. She was pulled from her intersection as the doors of the holodeck opened to allow Chakotay into her holographic recreation of Leonardo de Vinci's work shop.

Chakotay felt his eyebrow rise as he entered the messy room and approved her carefully traversing the mess that was Kathryn's latest passion project. At least it wasn't her lady and lord of the manor program which she had felt a need to drag him to more than once. As far as he was concerned anything was an improvement from that insipid and dull program. A sly smirk played across his lips at recalling all the times he had been able to solve whatever radicalise plot the program came up with, relative quickly. His mother had been a huge fan of classic gothic drama though he had never had much of an appreciation of it in his youth and even to this day he proffered more modern affair. It didn't help matters that in high school and in the adamic he had majored in psychology, criminal justice and had a passing knowledge in investigation and was able to solve the out-dated plots that been _cliché for hundreds of years_.

He approached Kathryn warily with data pads in hand each detailing the reports from Voyagers crew and system reports. "Am I interrupting?" Chakotay asked noticing with slight with bemusement the quill and parchment on the table which Kathryn sat behind. Kathryn did have a love for most things nostalgic. Her poor taste in books and holo novels withstanding in all that time she had never showed any partially interest in weighting.

"Not at all Chakotay, I was just finishing up my log" Janeway told him before getting up and going to stand over to the fire place its light casting shadows across her short stocky form.

"The old fashioned way? Not really your style is it" Chakotay said teased, joining her by the fire place.

"Well I wanted to get as far away from technology as possible. And this way fells more human" Janeway said signing heavily "Although it's left one hell of a cramp in my hands" she told Chakotay and he gave a stiff chuckle.

"That it certainly douses." Chakotay said than seen a questioning look on Kathryn's face. "I try to right on pen and paper whenever I get the chance." He said sheepishly it was a habit he couldn't shake since he was a school boy. His old teachers always said that using the tools of the past brought a connection that the technology the wider federation used, lacked. He was glad that neither he nor Kathryn was so hurt by each others actions in recent times that they couldn't still tease each outer. In the past, their light hearted teasing had always managed to help repair any hurt feelings or bruised egos. However the stiffness of their jokes only now served to enforce the realization that their friendship was forever changed, and true forgiveness was some time away.

Forcing his mind away from his dark thoughts he set about the task at hand. He handed her the data pads he had been holding up until that point. "I hate to spoil the mood Kathryn but here are the Engineering reports it will take at least two weeks if not longer to remove all the Borg components from Voyager systems. Although B'Elanna did say that the power cup-links down on deck six worked batter with the Borg tech" Chakotay said with a slight wince suddenly getting an image of Seven of nine's unconscious form in sickbay popped into his mind's eye.

She noticed Chakotay titch like a rabbit who had just seen a fox at the mention of the Borg hardware that infested their ship. It pecked her curiosity. "Leave them then." She told him coolly. "How is our latest crewmember?" Janeway asked passively searching Chakotay face for clues to his mood, although deep down she knew trying to read him was almost as hard as reading a Vulcan.

"The Doctor told me she's stable for the moment but her body systems have started to regenerating at a frighting rate and he will need start to operate to remove as many Borg implants as soon as he can in order to save her life" Chakotay informed Janeway coolly. He had already guessed she had wanted to treat the drone woman for the injures they had inflicted on her though deep down he knew that Kathryn would wont to keep her on board. To say he thought this was a bad idea was an understatement.

"Tell him to do what he has to" Janeway said seen Chakotay's doubtfully expression that flew crossed his face so quickly if she had blinked she would of missed it. She was however all too aware of the anger that smouldered in his dark eyes.

"I already have Captain" Chakotay told her coolly, did she think he would leave Seven of nine to suffer. At the mere thought that Janeway's option of him was low it made him chafe. It was never his way to let people even his enemy's suffer.

Kathryn saw the dark flicker in Chakotay's eyes but she would not be bowed "I can't help wondering what we might find under all those implants. If she can ever really become human again and what kind of life she'll lead?" Kathryn asked toying with one of the pads. She had to know what Chakotay true feelings were. "We pulled the plug after all she our responsibility now, would you disagree?" Janeway asked peering at his revered expression.

"No! You're right now she needs our help at the moment" he said though gritted teeth. "That doesn't change the fact that she was assimilated at a very young age and the Collective is all she knows. In a twisted way they're the only family she has ever known. We can't blame her if she wanted to return" Chakotay told Janeway evenly trying to keep his cool even as his blood boiled.

Kathryn felt her face fall at his comment. "Oh… I don't know about that Chakotay we can offer her something the Borg never could, friendship!" Janeway suggested lightly.

Her trivial tone sounded like she was talking about fixing a replicator or a broken appliance instead of someone's life they had just uprooted. Her casual disregard made his blood boil. "This isn't a game Captain! If you're wrong than this it will end badly for all of us, including her!" Chakotay told her passionately then a sly smile flicked across her face and he feeling that she played him like she always did. Janeway wanted to know where he stood in regards to their guest. He couldn't quite bring himself to think of Seven of Nine as a crewmember, not yet but she did need their help. 'I'm not so cold to leave her out in the cold to die….am I?' he asked himself silently felling his doubt eat away at him again.

Kathryn nodded seeing his hard gaze meant he had figured out her little ploy. She hadn't wanted to trick him but with their relationship as strained as it was, she needed a little deception to get him to open up. "Is there anything you gathered from you link with her to could help us reach her then?" Janeway asked putting her hands on her hips.

Chakotay ran a tired hand though his thick hair and then over his face breathing out a heavy sigh. He hadn't realised until then how exhausted he was. "There wasn't that much to see …. but I think I saw enough to be of some help." Chakotay said before going over the some details he had gleamed from Seven's or Annika's mind leaven out what the drone woman may have seen of his mind. Kathryn's reactions varied from shock and remorse to outright disgust than finally overwhelming pity. All the while he went through his own Rolla-coaster of emotions from anger, over not only her own misfortune but her intrusion into his mind to irritation over Janeway board characterizations of people. Neither of them had ever met. Once he had finish he felt completely exhausted in every way imaginable and he knew it showed.

* * *

><p>Having finished diseasing Seven of Nine, Chakotay knew they were both tip toeing around each outer. He knew they had to put each other at ease to find a way to make this work like they did four years ago or all they had been though in that time, they people they had helped, the emery's they made, the promises and the lies, the heart brakes and the triumphs would mean nothing. If they couldn't find some shared ground now then it would all be meaningless.<p>

As always it was up to him to make the first move. After replicating a full mug of Janeway's favourite blend of black coffee and cup of green tea for himself and after taking a long calming sip before speaking up. "Kathryn I want you to know that disobeying your orders was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Not just because you're my Captain or my superior office but because your my friend and a part of my family…. " he told her see her eyes go while. "It's like you always say Voyager has become a family, were not star fleet or Maquis, human, Vulcan, Bajoran, Ocampa, Talaxian or Klingon. All we got out here in the dark is each other" He told her honestly seen her shot him a half understanding smile. He cleared a lump that seemed to take up residence in his throat. "However I saw a threat to this crew, this family and I dealt with that threat best way I could. I know I've hurt you Kathryn. I know I've have hurt this crew" he admitted remorse filling his voice. "But if I have to go adjust your orders to insure the safety of this family again then I will." Chakotay told her with grim finality.

Kathryn let out a heavy sign. She had hoped he would apologies and swore he would never go adjust her ever again but that wasn't Chakotay's way. He didn't make vows easily he was a man of honor and integrity. Some times that infuriated her, the fact that he was always so sure of himself when her own confidence could sometimes be so lacking. "I understand, I don't like it but I do understand it." Janeway said taking one last sip from her coffee that a go bitter and cold during their conversation. "So where do we go from here?" she asked quietly looking into his deep brown soulful eyes. For the first time in three coming up four years spent traveling the delta quadrant his dark familiar eyes never looked so alien to her.

"I don't know" Chakotay told her honestly. "We can't pretend things haven't changed between us, we need to get over ourselves for the good of the crew."

"You're right of course but it won't be easy" Kathryn said nodding in agreement.

Chakotay turned from her and started for the door of the holodeck. "Nothing in life is ever easy but I would have it no other way" he told her quietly.

"Who said that?" Janeway asked. Chakotay never answered her question he just nodded curtly turned and walked out the doors of the holodeck. They closed after him and leaving her feeling cut off from to the rest of the crew alone in of her de Vinci program. The faint flickers of the candles and fire place, created ghostly shadows that danced across the room. A slight wind moaned though the window and she wrapped her arms around her chest. "For the good of the crew" Kathryn muttered sadly as she felt a cold loneliness entered her soul as grief filled her face to the fullest. She felt like a million words that she should have said linger in the air but out of all of them only two sounded right and she wished that she had the courage to say them to Chakotay but her pride had got in the way. "I'm Sorry"

* * *

><p><strong>Chakotay's quarters<strong>

Chakotay finally got back to his quarters for some much needed sleep, throwing both his boots and red jacket to the floor too tired to bother putting either away neatly. He just slumped onto his bed and tried to sleep. Closing his eyes and relaxing his over worked body. Sleep however would not come as seconds past and turned into minutes his mind refused to shut down.

No matter how hard he tried he could not get to sleep he just tossed and turned. Every time he closed his eyes he would relive everything that had happen in the last few weeks. His journey into that dammed Borg derelict.

He could see himself and the others walking along the long dark corridors with hundreds of dead drones body's covering the metal floor. There were so many the away team couldn't avoid stepping on them. Then there had been that stench that had filled the hot atmosphere, an all permeating reek of burnt metal and cooked flesh. The face of that unknown boy trapped inside the maturation chambers staring at him with dead pleading eyes. The pleading of the drone, no the man Kalled Preyed who had spent his last moments as a piece of twisted art dedicate to cruelty and malleus. The irony that only near death had the drone regained a measure of himself had not been lost on Chakotay.

Then there was that damnable itch at the back of his mind, a constrained reminder of what the Co-operative had done to him. That cursed itch felt like it been wisping to him though the darkness 'come to us' it had seemed to say. He knew than that he would never be fully freed from it. He knew that deep down ever since Co-operative had 'saved' him but had lied to himself as well as his friends and co-workers into believing he was fine he now knew that same darkness would linger on in his soul until his last breath.

'How could Kathryn be so blind?' he asked himself feeling fresh anger boil up from his core. 'How could they possibly _help_ Seven of Nine when he was left so…. Broken by only a few minutes connected to Collective hive mind?' all these thoughts and more cashed each other around his mind.

'Could Kathryn be right about Seven of Nine tertiary adjunct of unimatrix zero one? Could she becoming fully human? What hell would she suffer though in the next few days, weeks or even years? He didn't even know why he should care it wasn't like she was his mission. He had done what was needed. He did his duty to protect his crew nothing more or less.

After a while the horrors he had seen over the last few weeks slowly left him in relative peace now one image alone refused to let him go. _She, _refused to give him piece, she came back to haunt him again and again. The memory of little, Annika Hansen running through a field of grass and tall flowers occasional she stopped and turned as if she could see him.

* * *

><p>"Dam it man get hold of yourself she's a drone not that little girl! That girl died a long time ago!" he yelled to his empty room. He tried sleeping one more time but as soon as he closed his eyes. Annika smiling face filled his mind. He cursed loudly. "Computer time" Chakotay order shaking himself from his stormy thoughts as cold sweat ran down his face.<p>

"04.12" the computer droned.

Chakotay groaned as he rubbed his face. "This will never work" he muttered darkly. He was unsure as to what to do, it was the night shift. He could go up to the bridge but in his frazzled state he wouldn't be of much help. Normally if he couldn't sleep he would do some paper work and that was usually put him to sleep faster than one of the Doctors lectors. Unfortunately he was up to date so he had nothing to do and with sleep was proving to be impossible so what to do? "Computer lights" Chakotay ordered if he was going to do nothing then he might as well not be in the dark while doing it.

The blaring lights in both his main quarters and bed room beat back the darkness of Voyager's artificial night. Chakotay observed his bed room with causal indifference as he got up. There wasn't much to it. Two small wooden nightstands each with three draws built into them one either side of his bed a large cupboard built into the mat grey wall.

His left night stand had a small reading light with two small photo frames under it. One contained a group photo of the senior staff. It taken a few months ago on a little planet called Malronn by its friendly natives the Na''Twain a species whom, bore a sticking resemblance to over grown teddy bears. The Voyager crew had helped the Na''Twain get rid of a grope of pirates that set up shop in the Na''Twain system. With Voyagers help the Na''Twain's small defence force had been able to run the pirates out of their systems. The cute aliens had been more than happy to let Voyager use their space dock for some much needed repairs and upgrades as well as giving the crew much needed respite and suppliers.

The other photo frame contained one of his older family photos. It was taken before he left for star fleet. The only other decorations in his bed room were a large dream catcher. He had hand woven on new Earth to calm himself after a partially heated argument with Kathryn.

He was glade but also saddened that he and Kathryn had never become an item in the end. It had been then when he realised that though he may have been attracted to Kathryn at one point he had realised they were completely different people. At any rate the dream catcher didn't seemed to be doing its job now, finally his gaze was drawn to small water painting of a sun set over his family farm on Dorvan five that Sekaya's had given him before he left to go to Earth to attend Starfleet academy.

The panting was one of Sekaya's best. The sky was a mix of vibrant yellows and sober purples as Dorvan fives of sun set behind the Helaku Mountains to the Far East. Each row of crops in their farm was lit by the last golden rays of sun light making them stand out in contrast to the gathering twilight. He opened one on the top draws of the night stand and reached in and picked out an elk skin bag held closed with a simple pull sting.

Chakotay left his bed room and he entered the main quarters. As he entered he was hit with the sobering realization that in the three years he had been on Voyager he hadn't added much to his quarters nor had he really changed it in any major way. A large grey couch faced to the large window that offered a spectacular view of space. A small dining table with a few chairs, a small kitchenette in the far corner and his work desk piled high with pads and his personal computer.

There was some evidence he had made a mark on this place. A few piece of art from various cultures and sub cultures which included his mixed Native American and Inca heritage. Trying to trace his family line was like trying to put complete a jig saw puzzle with half the pieces missing and the other half made up. It was something of an old Koto family joke that they could trace their ancestors half way arouse both north and south American all one needed to do was known is to who conquered who.

Chakotay's gaze fell upon the rock collection he started and restarted countless since he was a boy. He felt a small smile pull at his lips. As he remembered how Sekaya used to tease him about collecting rocks when they were young. He missed their banter and teasing. If Voyager ever made it back home in their life time he would try and patch things up with his baby sister even if she was a pain in the ass sometimes.

* * *

><p>He wouldn't blame her if she wanted nothing to do with him. When he left Starfleet to join the Maquis they had a massive augment. She pleaded from him to reconsider; she said that joining the Maquis would ruin his life and destroy everything he stood for. Off course he hadn't listened and then he said some very hurtfully things in return. He called Sekaya a coward and worse he had said that she must not really love their father. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth he had been angry and lashing out. She kicked him out of the unit they had rented together for a few weeks while they grieved and burned an empty coffin for their father. She told him to get lost after that and he had gladly at the time he was to consumed by his anger to look back and say sorry.<p>

Chakotay regretted how much of his life he had devoted to his rage. He wasn't ashamed of joining the Maquis but he was ashamed of what he had to do in order to satisfy his need for justice. He had been raised to be a peace loving man but he had forsaken nearly everything he held dear to feed his rage. He tried ridding himself of his gloomy outlook but to no avail. He set his medicine bundle on the floor then sitting cross-legged he carefully untired the elk skin bag.

Opening the bag up him took out his Akoonnah. The small device was shaped like a stone that fit into the palm of his calloused hand. It glowed a deep orange as it responded to his touch. He put the device down. He then took the three items that would ground him and with great care he placed the items around the Akoonnah. There was an old picker of his whole family taken before his mom and gotten sick he must have only been fourteen at the time. "Spirits was I ever so young?" he asked muttering to himself.

Then he took out a long black taxidermy feather of a raven. He remembered how he got that feather didn't belong to one of his happiest of memories but he drew strength from it none the less. When he was about ten or eleven there had been a powerful storm that had hit his family's farm. After the storm had past he had helped his parents clean up the branches and outer junk that had been deposited on their property. He found a young raven that had been badly hurt in the storm, underneath a large pile of braches. In fact it was barely alive when he herds its cries of pain he had brought it to his father and mother to see what they could do to save it. They both told him given the how close to death it was it would be kinder to put it to sleep.

He didn't much care for that answer and decided to try and nurse it back to health. He remembered the long nights feeding it with an eye dropper and tended to its wounds the best he could as well as taking it to a vet, but the raven just got sicker and sicker. His parents were proven right; all his efforts to heal the sick and broken bird were in vain. It was become clear to him that he was just prolonging its suffering. His farther had offed to put it to sleep for him, but he had insisted that he should do it, because it was his reasonability so he crushed up some sleeping drugs and feed them to the sickly bird it soon feel asleep and final passed away and he buried it in the garden.

Chakotay took the last item. It was one if not his most precious positions. It was a small black pebble no bigger than his thumb. His family had gone to on Earth for a holiday. His mom had found the stone while they were hiking around the Colorado River and she gave it to him it was her last gift to him lest then eight months later his mouther, Aylen Koto would be dead.

Taking long charming breathes and clearing his troubled mind, Chakotay finally spoke. "Akoocheemoya, I am far from sacred places of my grandfather's, far from the bones of my people, I ask to guided by the spirits of my people. A….koo…chee…moy…a"

* * *

><p><strong>The vision realm<strong>

When Chakotay opened his eyes again and he was no longer in his quarters on Voyager he was back in the same forests that bordered his home. He knew these woods well as he had played here as a child. He slowly stood up surrounded by tall ancient trees. They reached for the distant sun. Its gold rays were dabbled, unable to fully penetrate though the overhead foliage basking the under growth in thin beams of light that pieced the gloom that played at the edges of his vison. He looked up at the sky and just managed see twin moons poking their heads out of the light cloud cover that filled the sky. The forest all was quiet and peaceful not a sound pieced the quite even though a light breeze swept the trees. The wind carried with it the scent of life and growing things. He looked around for his she wolf spirit gild, but Napayshi was now were to be seen. He started to walk through the long dusty twisting unkempt path's that ran thought the forest.

It wasn't long before he was starting to get worried. "Napayshi!" Chakotay called out "Napayshi where are you? I have come seeking your guidance" he exclaimed. There was no reply. "Where in the world could she be?" Chakotay asked himself. 'Maybe my link to Seven of Nine has insulted her in some way'. He thought grimly although that was unlikely because after his encounter with the Co-operative she had appeared straight away then started to both to easy is troubled mind and insult him for falling for Reilly so quickly and not seeing her for what she really was. That was how she worked mostly; two parts kind to one part scorn.

He continued to walk until he would himself at a river that he could not pass. "Napayshi" Chakotay called out again "Were are you?" again there was no sign of his spirit guide. Chakotay fallowed the rivers bank a ways looking for a way to cross. The river itself was deep blue and first flowing, it must have been at least seven meters from bank to bank and cut through the forest. Small rocks emerged from the river bank to create steeping stones. As he walked the bank of the river, time like the water flowed ever onwards.

* * *

><p>He had been walking for some time when he final saw her. She was lapping at the fast flowing water. Napayshi seemed to sense his presence she lifted her head as her long muzzle, dripping with water and turned to give him a look of bemusement as if she had been impatiently waiting for him. She had a lean musical body. Her fur was thick and healthy the colour of granite rock. Her eyes were a piercing gold. She slowly padded up to him fallowing the river's bank.<p>

"Napayshi thank the spirits… I thought I had lost you" Chakotay exclaimed happy as his worry started dissipating.

Napayshi regarded him with scorn glinting in her bright golden eyes. "Chakotay, do you have so little faith that you think that you couldn't find me or I you?" Napayshi asked with a low grow looking straight into his eyes.

"I was worried" he answered sheepishly and was almost temped to scratch her behind her long pointed ears, he remembered grimly the last time he tried, she nearly took a bite of his hand but in his defiance he was only twelve at the time and it had been his first spirit walk. God the look on his father's face when he had told him about it, before his dad fell over laughing as he admitted he done some equally as silly once with his own guide at that age. "Usually you arrive sooner whenever I call" Chakotay told her honestly.

Napayshi pricked her ears and shanked her head; she gave him a slight disapproving look. "Chakotay, I arrive when I am needed and appear when it is time for you to find your way to me." Napayshi told him gently. "But you were always a sceptic" she reminded him her husky voice playful.

"Maybe a little…." Chakotay said training off as he ran a hand though his think hair and smiled sheepish. "So you're not upset about me been hooked up to a Borg, a drone's mind again?" Chakotay asked lowing himself to her height and then sat on the rocky soil.

Napayshi put herself in his lap like a dog would and nearly pressed her long nose into his face has he tried to shift her body but could not. There was a vague look of amusement on her face. "Do you think such things matter to me?" Napayshi asked kindly.

"Well I don't know that part of the reason I'm here" Chakotay told the wolf reluctantly.

"I sensed as much" Napayshi told him final siting down to an upright setting position facing him. "You do you feel the connection again don't you but this time. It's?" she trailed of allowing him to finish the thought.

"Different ….How did you…" he asked shock filling his voice he should have known better than try and hide anything from the all-knowing if cryptic wolf. She merely raised a hairy eye brow at him as if she knew his thoughts better the he did. "Right" he muted felling a little silly. "I did feel it feel it, like with Reilly and her, Co-operative… I don't know its…" Chakotay said trailing of. "Different"

"Good" Napayshi said with a slight smile.

"Good?" Chakotay asked looking at the wolf in shock. "How can you possible say that's a good thing I had invade someone's mind I saw….." he said train of again

"Not what you were expecting" Napayshi said "Instead of horror and darkness you only saw her. Only Annika Hansen as she was before they took everything away from her" the wolf said sadly looking at him understanding shining in her golden eyes.

"Yes its true how do I deal with that I mean she… she's a drone" Chakotay said bitterly.

"Was Chakotay, Not anymore you freed her. You! You alone had the will to call her to freedom give her the strength she needed while been able to resist the call of the Collective yourself, few can say that" Napayshi said sadly "You should take pride in this, yet you falter. You have giving Annika a gift though for a time it may seem a bitter one. I promise you neither you nor her will always view it as such. For you, both have a bond now and a shared destiny. Trust in yourself and more importantly trust in her... "

"Napayshi….. How could I possible trust Seven of nine? She will betray us at the first chance she gets! You're as bad as Kathryn…." Chakotay snapped bitterly interrupting before resealing his mistake.

"_Do not think to insult me_ _Chakotay or disregard my wisdom_!" Napayshi growled low and threating as her hackles rising in anger.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean that…." Chakotay said regret filling his voice as he lowered his gaze from the she wolfs blazing golden eyes.

"I know you did not. You are hurt and you need time to heal and these things take time" Napayshi offed her tone not quit forgiving, gentle none the less. "All I will say is this the universe is a strange and wonderful place, filled with beauty and horror beyond imagination. All you must do to find your way in life is to open yourself and will not be led astray." Napayshi said kindly

"Can't you every give a straight answer to anything?" Chakotay asked grumpily. Ever since he had first met his, spirit guide he quickly caught on that she loved her being vague. "You know how much I hate riddles."

"I cannot tell you everything, Chakotay" She said with little husky laugh. "There are things you must find out on your own. Moments like this one you must trust in your heart, I can do is point you in the direction of the path I cannot walk it for you" Napayshi told him.

At that Napayshi started too padded away from Chakotay. He followed her but did not speak to again for resins that she knew he could not explain to himself. A loud craw of a bird echoed though the silent forest. A large Raven as black night flew through the top of trees and landed on a low sit branch staring right at them.

Chakotay saw unlike most other ravens or crow he had seen in his life this one had eyes of the clearest blue. It bowed its head to both him and Napayshi. Before he could question the bird's presence, his vision quest ended.

* * *

><p>Chakotay opened his eyes to look around his quarters and they didn't look so empty anymore but he still felt tired. He rewrapped his spirit quest items in his medicine bag and placed them back in the draw from whence they came.<p>

"Computer lights of" Chakotay ordered. His quarters were cast in darkness the only light coming from the star's outside his widow. Yarning again he slow walked over to his bed and slumped down on to it not bothering to rap himself in the sheets and slowly closed his eyes and as his mind began to drift. He could not help but dream of a the raven as black as night with eyes bluer then a cloudless sky flying free as a girl with the same eyes and long blonde hair played in a field, he fell into a deep untroubled sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Aeroponics <strong>

Kes moved around Aeroponics with purpose checking the growth rates of plants in the bay. She sighed as she observed the mull-a boons in their water tanks. The mull-aboons was a water plant that produced large fleshy fruits that resembled the earth tomatoes in both taste and texture with the execution that they were coloured a deep purple. However the plant had somehow been infected with a kind of blight and now most of one of the plants fruit had rotted while still on the stem. This was not the first time this had happened, these plants had a very weak immune system. She shook her head sadly and jotted down that this plant's harvest was a bust with a data pad she had in one hand. She hoped that some of the other plants fruit could be harvested. She drained this one's of water and disposed of the tainted plant. If the other four tanks had the same infection Ensign Tabor would be disappointed as he favoured the fruit. He had told her once it reminded him of a Bajoran delicacy. Fortunately none of the others had been tainted but she would have to keep a closer eye on them.

Kes Looked around Aeroponics and was pleased that her absence due to species 8472 mind attacks had not affected her garden as she had feared. She was very proud of the way she and her friends had turned cargo bay one, which had been a mess of cables and cargo containers stern about seemingly at random upon her arrival on Voyager into a little slice of Eden. Rows of planters and hanging air pots were filled with multi-coloured vegetable life from the Earth red rose's to the dreaded Leola root. Each had its own lights and watering system to care to each plants unique needs to promote maxima growth and harvests.

The whole room smelled of growing things, she could just make out a hint of the first of the chamomile was starting to bloom. Kes continued catering to the needs of her plants and for the first time in weeks she started enjoying herself and allowed herself to relax. The visions from Species 8472 had stopped and Voyager seemed clear of the Borg for the moment. Expect for that drone Seven of Nine who had been moved from sickbay to cargo bay two. The Captain had told the crew the Seven of Nine would be a part of the crew from now on.

She had felt the confusion and angry come off the crew in a wave. To be completely honest with herself she did not know where she stood in regards to the drone woman but she was willing to give the Borg woman a chance, she hoped that Voyager would be as good a home to the drone that it had been to her. Kes parsed for a moment troubled by the thought. 'Why did I think in the past thence just now?' she wounded. She pushed the thought to the back of her head. She was tried that was all but the thought didn't go away it lingered on. Like the strange feelings she had ever well before Species 8472 had been defeated in truth she had these feelings for a while know but they had stayed at the back of her mind.

It had stated out as nothing more than acutely heighten senses then she had started to notice the crews mood not that there was anything pertinacity strange about that in of its self, she had always had a kind of empathy for those around her. However in the last few weeks it had grown stronger to the point where she could almost read someone thoughts though that had only really started in the last few days and she had been so busy she hadn't noticed until the last day or so ago. She had been convinced that whatever she was going though would pass but more strange things happen around her like, early today there was that weirdness with the replicator in sickbay.

Then later in the mess hall she was able to warn Neelix that his chicken roast was going to catch on fire when he was distracted buy some drunken crew members who were trying to wipe away the memory of last few days in as much alcohol as their replicator rations would allow. She had considered talking to Tuvok but he and his hands full at the moment.

"Maybe there's something wrong with me" Kes told the plant she was tending. It was called Long Pole Grass, it looked a lot Earth wheat except it produced small red berries that a lot of the crew favoured although she had never taken much of a liking to them herself. She picked up a pair of gardening sheers when she stated to feel a cold chill ran though her body.

She suddenly felt heavy and out of breath as cold sweat trickled down her body make her bio suit feel uncountable sticky as it clung to her willow frame. "What in is going on?" Kes asked as she felt a chill in the air and a sudden presser forcing its way into her mind. She dropped both the plant stem and the gardening sheers on the floor.

This wasn't one of Species 8472 mind probes, this felt different. This felt like a vison but not a vison. She remembered when she felt like this before it was just before her vison of a possible future for herself and Voyager a few months ago. In the vision she had experienced a whole life time in a matter of moments though at the time it felt like days.

* * *

><p>She had seen a reality were she had achieved all she had ever dreamed of and more. She had family with Tom had become a respected and worthwhile crew member she had lived a long good life. The cost for her ideal reality had been far too high though. Captain Janeway and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres as well as countless outers had died in what the crew of Voyager had called the year of hell. Tuvok was a shadow of his former self, Commander Chakotay unmatched will was broken and it had been her impression the crew were hiding not only form the evils of the galaxy but also themselves. Since then she had taken every step to make sure that future did not come to pass. She had told the Captain about the vison and to avoid the wormhole that lead into the heart Krenim space at all costs as well as everything she'd gleamed about the Krenim themselves. She had stopped casing after Tom and let things between him and B'Elanna develop as they wished. She had slowed her physic training with Tuvok to a near standstill.<p>

That was until recent events had forced her to play mouth piece for Species 847. If she never had them her mind again it would be too soon. As far as she was concerned that species could rot. She knew the rest of the crew didn't felt the same way but they hadn't those monstrous aliens assaulting their minds for days on end. The only time she had any peace was oddly enough when Voyager had been sucked into fluidic space.

The world around her faded to grey as her sensors became both hyper acute and mutated. Fog filled her vison in all directions she felt cold and cut off from not only the real world but herself. Her breath ghosted from her lips almost as if the temperature had dropped.

The fog if that was what this truly was, closed in around her. Minutes seemed to pass and each felt like an age coming and going in the blink of an unfeeling eye, time had known meaning hear in this strange and gloomily place. The fog around her filled with vague half shadows walked here and there, some of these ghosts looked almost like her friends she had known on Ocampa and others her friends on Voyager. Others were ghosts of people she had never met yet they seemed familiar as if she had known then in another life. One of these ghosts walked close by her it resoled its cloudy visage and took on the form of Harry Kim.

Kes approached him and as she did so he became clearer she also saw that he wasn't alone, Harry was walking hand in hand with a pretty dark haired woman with strange black markings on her otherwise pale skin, her eyes were a bright yellow. The couple were having a conversation of some kind but she could not hear what they were saying.

Kes Closed the distance between them, she waved at them to try and get their addition "Harry! Harry can you hear me?" She called out to him, neither Harry nor the woman holding his hand seemed to be able to hear her. She grew frustrated and she tried to grab Harry by the shoulder, he parted like mist though her fingers. She tried a few more times with some of the other ghostly figures but every time she reached for one, they disappeared.

The fog started to ebb away until she was standing in a grassy field. The whole voyager crew was standing about with their backs to her. This time they seemed real to her. Well a great deal more real than the ghosts she had to contend with earlier, something was still off about them. No one looked at her as she passed them. They all stared vacantly at a large wooden stage a top a small hill. Standing on the stage was a figure haloed by pure light. She approached the slight willow figure she saw herself standing their like some kind of god. Her reflection smiled back at her.

Before she could ask any questions of her refection, the other Kes morphed into a giant formless mass of light. The light burned away everything around her the vague landscape the crew everything was consumed by the fire.

Then the screaming started. Screams of pure agony, hate and loss filled her mind to braking point. They seemed to be yelling out to her in pained accusation. The sheer volume of the noise threatened to overwhelm her.

* * *

><p>"No, No, NO, this can't be happening. This isn't real. It can't be I won't let it be." Kes screamed at the emptiness that even now engulfed her. The vision fell away from her as she fell panting to the floor. The overhead lights flicked for a moment. Try as she might she could not process what she had seen but know it couldn't be real. It was some kind of night mare, she had been prying into the troubled emotions around her even if she hadn't meant to and they had poisoned she allowed a sliver of doubt and pain into her and her powers had made it real. She stood up shakily as the last of the cold vision that held her in its icy in brace melted away. She would have to talk to Tuvok when she had the chance. She looked to the digital clock built into the pad she had left on a nearby mobile tray.<p>

"Goodness I'm late" she said having no more time to deal with what she had seen she left for sickbay.

* * *

><p><strong>Cargo Bay two <strong>

Cargo bay two had always been a dark place filled with broken equipment, suppliers and spare parts. Know though a new darkness had entered the place where their once was rows of boxes cables there was rows of Borg alcoves, computers and tables ready for assimilation. A constant droning sound filled the air, the only illumination that pushed back the shadows was the green light emitted from the Borg technology that infested the cargo bay.

A group in consisting of the Doctor, Captain Janeway and Tuvok alongside three other security offices in the gloom, lieutenant Ayala Moreno, ensigns Fredrick Murphy and Rhianna Anderson who looked wearily around with sweet pouring from their skin only Tuvok remained stoical clam.

The Doctor careful approached the sleeping form of Seven of Nine whom was standing upright connected to one of the alcoves her human eye lid shut tight without a flicker of movement. He had a tricorder and hypo spay at the readily. Despite the heavily armed offices around him he felt fear run though his programing to the point that if he was truly human he knew he would be shanking like a leaf. Thankfully his programing let him focus on the matter at hand. He looked to the Captain waiting for her to break the uneasy silence.

Kathryn gave the Doctor her most encouraging smile, she could muster but her own unease must have shown. "So Doctor how is the newest member of our crew?" Janeway asked the Doctor looking up at the regenerating form of Seven of Nine.

"As you know I moved her last night to this alcove to help stabilize her and for the most part it seems to have worked….. but her human physiology has continued to reassert itself, violently!" he said his face grim and lined "Her an immune response it attacking everything from her respiratory system to her neurological functions, I could go on but we would be here for quite some time and time is of the essence" the Doctor added grimy.

"Respiratory system Doc? Are you telling us that she an't been breathing before now? Rhianna Anderson asked. She was a petite short dark skinned woman who had once been one of the Maquis.

"Well that's complicated…. yes she was breathing, but her lunges have been modified and are far more effective at processing various atmosphere's and gas than humans….." The Doctor told Rhianna Anderson.

"This is all very fascinating Doctor, but I think it is past time to bring her up to speed." Janeway said looking at the Doctor to stop him going into lecture mode "Wake her Doctor" Janeway ordered.

The Doctor slowly pressed a hypo spray into Seven of Nine neck. Kathryn thought to herself 'this poor woman may even thank us' despite Chakotay grim warnings to the opposite.

Seven of Nine tertiary adjunct of unimatrix one actuated from her regenerating slowly. Her activating mind was slow to process input. She had never experienced disorientation before at least not on this level.

At a loss of viable internal input she opened her organic eye and activated her ocular implant. Confused as to why the implant had not instantly actuated as it had done so sense it had replaced her original inferior organic eye upon her assimilation. She looked down to see Captain Janeway before her and then the rest of her companions which included the Vulcan Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and a mobile holographic program with the image of a short human male with and aged lined face and receding hair line and three other humans but they were not relevant. "Captain Janeway?" Seven on nine stated her voice cold. Her mind was only now gaining full awareness. An odd felling filled her mind pulling at her thoughts. 'Her thoughts, we requested information?' she stated but their nothing but silence. "What have you?" Seven asked before trailing of. She only then realising something was wrong. There was only her voice. She tested her neuro connection to the Collative only to fine that the others were gone.

"The others were the others?" Seven of nine said as panic started to creep its way into her voice and flashing across her un-nature pale face. "We cannot hear the others" Seven's said fearfully her real eye started darting about the room.

Kathryn looked up at the tall form of Seven of Nine straight into the younger woman panicking eye. She could see the fear that was griping the Seven of nine's face. Kathryn swallowing her nerves keeping her voice quiet and clam. She knew that what she had to say would change things for ever for Seven of Nine for ever. "We had to neutralize your neuro transceiver" Janeway said taking a deep breath. "Your link to the Collective has been severed" Janeway told her. Seven of Nine gave her a stare that could have melt metal.

Seven of Nine felt the irreverent emotion _fear,_ managing to purge un wonted thoughts from her mind. 'This is only temporary we will simply return to the Collative and all will be as it should'. She told herself. "You will return this drone to the Borg" Seven of Nine demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't take you back to the Borg" Janeway told her calmly but saw the younger woman's face darken.

"YOU WILL RETURN THIS DRONE TO THE COLLECTIVE NOW" Seven said her voice rising as anger and fear returned to plague her. Taking a step from the alcove toward Captain Janeway at her outburst all the Security offices tensed their bodies and readied their weapons but Janeway motioned them to stand down.

"If I was to turn this ship around and head back deeper into Borg territory. I would be putting my crew at risk and I'm not prepared to do that, try to understand" she told the other woman gently as she could. "You have to stay on Voyager it's for your own good" Janeway said stepping closer to Seven of Nine who then gave her a death glare. The younger woman's face was contorted by utter rage and hate. "But I'm offering you freedom from the Collective and I assure you we will help you with the transition" Janeway said before Seven of nine intruded her.

"YOU WILL SUPPLY US WITH A SUBSPACE TRANSMITTER AND LEAVE US ON THE NEARIST PLANET THE OTHERS WILL COME FOR US" Seven said threating load as panic and anger started to overwhelm her. She tried to calm herself again as she could not allow these feeling to compromising her. She must remain in control.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. Your cells are regeneration you won't survive without medic treatment, please understand Ann….." Janeway said before been interrupted

"DO NOT REFER TO US BY THAT DEASATION. WE NEED NOTHING FROM HUMANS. WE ARE BORG!" she yelled getting truly angry now her heart was ponding in her chest, her breaths were constricted. "WE…I…aggge" Seven cried as she gasped of pain and swayed. Closing her human eye, as the crown like implant on the back of her head started to spark.

Kathryn could see blood dripping from the skin around the implant colouring it with red drops. Seven brought up her right hand to the wound then took it away. As she looked at the blood on her fingers her face contorted with fear. "What is happening to me?" Seven asked in a small shaky voice.

The Doctor stepped forward and scanned the implant "This implant is being rejected by your immune systems it's going to have to be removed at once" the Doctor told both Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine.

Seven felt her human eye go wide as fear at been defiled by these humans filled her to the core "YOU WILL SUPPRESS THE HUMAN SYSTEMS IN THIS BODY AND RETRUN US TO THE COLLECTVE NOW" Seven yelled at the Doctor her eye flaming dangerously.

"I sorry but your body has processed too far for that, if you don't get treatment you will die." He told her coolly. "I assure you that we have the best possible treatment" the Doctor said kindly laying a reassure hand on Seven of Nine left shoulder. Whatever straws of restraint the woman had left was snapped by that small action. Seven of Nine sky blue eye filled with utter hatred.

"NO!" she screamed griping the Doctors offending hand and ripping it from her shoulder. WE ARE BORG, WE ARE BORG, WE ARE BORG!" Seven screamed as she slammed the Doctor into a nearby wall console with enough force make the Doctor's program splutter before it recompensed itself leaving a broken console behind.

Tuvok and his security offices reacted instantly they surged forward to stop Seven of Nine's rampage. It took all of them to pin her to the Borg alcove. All the while she didn't stop screaming "WE ARE BORG". The Doctor lunged forward and pressed the hypo spray into her neck and she slow stopped yelling and slummed to the ground sliding down the alcove.

"Get her to sick bay now Doctor! Do everything you have to save her life I don't care how of many those dammed implants you have to remove, she obvious not going to listen to reason. We are just going to have to make the chose for her" Janeway ordered still shocked by what she saw.

"Yes Captain." The Doctor said as he took a cortical monitor out of a medic kit he brought with him and placed it on her fore head. He was unnerved by both the Drones woman's response and the Captain ignoring the ethics of what they were about to do to this poor woman. Fortunately his primary programing could at times over rule his ethical sub-programing but that didn't make him feel any better. "Now gentle man and lady, could you give me a hand getting her to the sick bay hum? He asked.

They pick her up and transfer her to a stretcher that the Doctor had brought with him. Rhianna Anderson took the front of the stretcher as Fredrick Murphy took the back. The Doctor came over to scan Seven on nine again and Tuvok falling behind.

"Doctor I will be on the bridge, inform me when she is out of immediate danger." Janeway told him "Tuvok stay with them but put in any Security system you need but try not to be over zealous whit them ok" Janeway said not unkindly. Tuvok's only reaction was a slight razing of his left eyebrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Sickbay <strong>

The Doctor and Tuvok's Security team met Kes in the sickbay, they were still caring Seven of Nine's body on a stretcher. They placed her on the main bio-bed. That Kes had already prepped for surgery. The security officers outer then Tuvok left the surgery bay and took up positions in the sick bay still with phaser rifles at the ready. Tuvok however still hovered around the Doctor. Kes for her part tried to suppress a shudder as she looked down at the unconscious form of Seven of Nine as the drone woman lay on the bio bed battling for breath but was otherwise still.

Kes looked down at Seven of Nine and for a moment time seemed to fall away to nothing. The sounds of the Doctor taking readings, the overhead lights seemed to blur and becoming muted. Kes realised that another vision was upon her, she tried with all her might to resist the pull of the vision but it came on anyway filling her mind.

* * *

><p>Seven of Nine stood before her seemingly talking to the Doctor good naturedly. The drone woman was barely recognisable. Most of her implants were gone with a few expiations. There was an implant shaped like a starburst just below her right ear, a silver eye brow that replaced her human eye brow and carved around her left eye socket and her left hand which was lined with sliver veins. Her skin was pail but had a heathier hue to it. Even her hair had been restored, it was a sun kissed blonde tired into a restive bun. Seven of Nine was even wearing a maroon colored bio suit not unlike the ones from her own collation but Kes had to admit the former drone seemed to pull of the look much better.<p>

The vision faded from her mind and she pulled back to the present with a start as the realisation that in less than 24 hours she had reserved two powerful visons and they were growing stronger and more detailed each time they hit her.

* * *

><p>The Doctor only noticed the strange distant expression that had briefly flowed over Kes face and out the corner of his eye but he couldn't worry about that at the moment as he had larger concerns. He did however make a mental note to talk to her latter as she had been acting strangely ever since she had arrived for her shift that morning. "This implant plating is attached to the skull with over three million micro connecters." He said scanning the aforementioned failing implant with his tricorder. "There is no time to cut though it I'm going to have to remove this portion of the outer skull itself. She going to be shore when all this is all over" the Doctor said his face filled with pity as scanning the implants at the back of Seven of Nine's skull and moved away to get the appropriate medic tools for the job but not seen where he was going he bumped into Tuvok.<p>

"For the love of…" the Doctor said grumpy "Mr. Tuvok would you please leave the surgery bay I assure you this poor woman poses no threat to us and need I remind you that both Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay have told you to keep your Security interferences as minimal as possible" the Doctor told Tuvok hotly. Tuvok merely raised a thin eye brow and took three steps back seeing that the Vulcan would not leave all together he felt an sigh of resigning leave him. "Thank you, your all heart" he said sarcastically rolling his eyes.

"Kes I need you to anaesthetize her cranial nerve endings. 20 milligrams of anetrizine should suffice for the moment" the Doctor told Kes, who was still shaking the after images of her visions out her mind.

Kes final snapped back to reality. Shaking her head then nodded to the Doctor "Right away Doctor" Kes said not meeting his eyes less he see something was bothering her. She looked over to the table were the anetrizine was kept. She was about to start to walk towered it but then it pick itself up and flew at her and she caught it in her right hand. She looked down at the medical tool with awe but this had not been missed by either the Doctor or Tuvok whom approached toward her.

"Kes?" the Doctor asked astonished.

"I don't know what happed I was just thinking about it and it came into my hand" Kes said unsure. Having visions was one thing but physic kinetic was a whole different animal. She had could almost feel the tools property's as if it was clay in her hands.

"Have you been experimenting with your physic kinetic ability recently?" Tuvok asked steeping closer to his young student.

She was still trying to make sense of what she had seen last night. "Not really but I had a vision last night. And ever since species 8472 assaulted my mind I'm always full of energy"

"I can see why" the Doctor told her as he scanned her head with his medic tricorder.

"You can?" Kes asked relived thinking if the Doctor could find out what was going on. Then they could fix it but for the first time since her ability's had started to flared up she wondered where they such a bad thing? After all hadn't she wanted to explore her natural ability's when she had come on Voyager all those years ago? And one or two disturbing visions brought on by admittedly strand circumstances didn't mean she should stop exploring that part of herself and using it to help her friends.

"Your serotonin levels are 62% above your normal levels. And the telepathic centres of your brain they are in a state of hyper-stimulated like they were when Species 8472 was commuting with you." The Doctor stated having scanned her with a tricorder and Kes leaning forwarded to look at the results herself.

"What was the contact of your vison are Species 8472 attempting to commutate with you again?" Tuvok asked evenly. He knew Kes had been having as his human co-workers would say a 'bad time of it' little. It had been his duty to try and help Kes though the last few weeks of torturers visons forced upon her by Species 8472. All his attempts to try and shield her mind form their attacks had failed all he could do was try had calm her as the forced her to watch their forces do unspeakable things. He had 'feared' that near to the end she had started to loss herself fortunately the aliens had been defeated, now he was concerned that their maybe unforeseen consequences.

"No!" she said hotly. "This is different, in fact I feel better than I felt for a long time" Kes emitter she didn't feel like confessing the contents of her visons to her mentors. They need to focus on Seven of Nine not her.

"Perhaps it is an after effect of some kind. Perhaps once Seven of Nine is stable I could question her weather this effect was noticed buy Borg drones with natural telepathic abilities? Tuvok stated looking at both the Doctor and Kes in turn.

"I won't be letting you interrogation my patient!" The Doctor told him sharply then turned to Kes "As for your ability's Kes, they don't seem causing any problems at the moment but as soon as I get a chance I'll run a full synapses analysis on you." the Doctor told Kes before turn to seven of nine again.

"Of course Doctor…. She needs your help more. I'm fine really" Kes told them a reshoring voice given both Doctor and Tuvok a small smile.

"With that settled I think we should get started" The Doctor said and with Kes's help. They began originating on their patient, bringing her closer to humanity weather she liked it or not.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter the Bitter Gift part 3<strong>

**AU. Please review show me you care :)**

Some of you may be wounding about Chakotay's spirit animal.

I was original going to have it bee snake but changed my mind to have a wolf as I didn't want to rip of Scifiromance any more than I already have. Just remember in the show they never say what his spirit glide is and as far as I know in the books they never mention it either. He only mentions its female nothing else. So I have done some research on other animal guides that could fit him. But in order to know his animal guide we need to know who Chakotay is or what are his many character traits.

One. We know that he is very intelligent maybe not in a way that star fleet offices are supposed to be but in a way that makes him smarter than the average bear. What I mean is this unlike some one let's say the average officer when they come across some space weirdness they wonts to go and poke it with a stick. (or if your Janeway fly right bloody into it so you can get a cup of coffee) Because that's what Starfleet offices do, their explores first, Chakotay I feel is more weary because of his unique background and interest in history he knows that flying blind douse not work out. He is a "let's wait and see" kind of guy.

Two he is very reasonable and focussed, he needs to be. The little we know about Chakotay's history with the Maquis he became one of their most effective leaders with a very few loss's to his crew and he was not a fanatic. He believed in what they stood for. But I doubt if things had go defiantly and he and crew and remained in the alpha quadrant. He would have been one of the Maquis who lost their shit when the Dominion rocked up or worse yet one of those guys who just stood around preaching about their case while their own people starved around them like that one dude from DS9. I can't recall his name nor do I won't to. Chakotay would have got as many people out of the DMZ as he could before the Dominion's hammer dropped, possible save countless lives of people he swore to protect. Many of who had enough of the fighting. Not because he is a cowered because he would know that it's over and they need to save as many as they can instead of just bitching about their how their potatoes were grown without any of the federations tech. Big whop when you have Dominion troops knocking down your planet. I'm looking at you guy from DS9. I never got that argument in star trek how going back to what we had before the federation was a good thing. Look I get it with Chakotay's people did it. They had a spiritually reason for doing that and pulse they did just live in hole's they had dug in the mud they had tech they just didn't agree that everything in our lives should be revolve around tech. I can respect that. Sorry for the rant but I'm not a big fan of Maquis many because the way the show, portrayed them as either backwards idiots, ass's or complete nutters.

Three: Chakotay isn't very trusting and if you think I'm just referring to his treatment of Seven in the early years. He didn't trust Janeway at all at first. It took him a good long while to get over Tom and Tuvok and hell do I need to even mention Seska! He trusted her and loved her at least at one point and her betrayal nearly destroyed him. Because when he douse chose's to trust he gives ever thing he is to those people. He an all or nothing when it comes to people. Remember when Seska was taunting him about well everything he went ballistic and was going to go hell or high water to get her.

Four: he is very brave. Now I know that you thinking. No he's not. And you can proper give me half a dozen instances where he doesn't charge in guns blazing. Like seven being kidnaped by the Borg queen. Unimatrix 0 and others. But I believe there are many types of bravery. For instance when it is learned that seven was been 'talked to' by the Borg queen you can tell immediate he regrets doubting her as I believe that by this time in the show they or at he had started to trust seven. Know your thinking well he didn't go with Janeway to save her right? Well that's true but.

(One he knows that he can't stop Janeway hell a team of rhinos couldn't stop Janeway when she decides to do something. Two he knows if anyone can get seven back it's the people who are the closest to her which is the doctor, Tuvok, Tom who was her first friend on board (and no I will never pair these two.) and janeway. And not the person she has only stated to trust and befriend. Three. Someone needs to be in command if something go's wrong and let's face it if janeway has planned it, it has more than a fair chance of going wrong at least in some way.)

In Unimatrix 0 it's very much the same. Hell Janeway and her team get assimilated. Yes before you all start yelling at me about how that was a part of the plan. Let me ask you what kind of plan is it that not only allows you, but two of not only your closeted friends but senior offices who know your ship inside and out, 'assimilated'? And hell if I recall correctly both Chakotay and Seven thought this was a bad idea. Two Chakotay needed to be there for seven if she went to far with Unimatrix 0. As he is the only one that could reach her if things went wrong or if she jot stuck. After all I doubt seven would have let the Borg kids any were near Unimatrix 0. So that leaves Chakotay. And final with Equinox he had to stop janeway from killing that guy they captured. Something he knew she would not be able to live with and tell her that running head long after Ransom and his ilk would only end badly after all Voyager was hit pretty bad buy those _space fish spirit things_. And they were in no shape for a fight. And trying to find a better way was the smarter chose.

Like Dumbledore said about Neville in harry potter & the philosopher's stone. 'it takes a lot of courage to stand up to your enemy's but it takes a great deal more to stand up to your friends.'

Using all these character traits and more I felt a wolf was a good choose for Chakotay but not just any wolf. How apparently when dealing with spirits, and specifically wolfs different colour wolfs mean defect things. How I'm per-phrasing hear. A grey wolf is all about hidden massages and seen to the true nature of things. And if you want to know more check out this link it's well worth a read. . /our-team/columnists-contributors/164-janet-bowerman-peace-within-spiritual-growth-in-a-modern-world/768-wolf-totem#.UwsE-LDkljo

Ok I won't to talk about Kes a little though in this chapter she didn't play that big a part but that will change in the next few chapters. I won't to get one thing state I don't like Kes I don't hate her but I don't like her and I bear no ill will adjusts any Kes fans that might read my story and compline. Now with Kes I really won't to explore her powers and you will be see this in the next few chapters. The main reason I wont to explore her powers and evolution is because in the show they never tell us what the hell is going on or how anything works. It's my opinion that the righters of Voyager kept her evolution purposively vague for probable 2 resins for this.

It is my understanding that Kes was never that popular with the fans many because unlike well everyone else she has very little in the way of an ark for her development she had no nemesis or foe she had to bet and unlike most of the other characters she had very little in the way of problems or issues. Hance she wasn't interesting and as she wasn't particle good at been the shows eye candy. Though I will be the first to say this is bull dust as any character or actor should get the role or keep the role on skill and merit rather than the way they look. But when I was talking to my eldest brother about how star trek tends to treat their female cast he brought up and interesting idea that all star trek woman can more or less cauterized in three models. Please note that I'm not to familiar with the original series or enterprise manly because the original series was before my time and with enterprise I try to own tv shows that didn't make an unbelievable mess of their universes 1. There is the attainable one. This is like your Tasha Yar, B'Elanna Torres or Kira Nerys. These are the ones that we as an audience believe that if this world was real and we lived in it these are the woman we can obtain. They all have some form of emotional or traumatic back story but not so much as to make them unattainable. Tasha Yar was sexual assaulted. B'Elanna Torres 1, never felt she belonged any were 2. Her dad left her and her mum. And Kira Nerys well she has a boat load of issues. But the main point is that these woman can be helped and achieve a lasting happiness with relative ease.

2. The crossing the lines one. These are your Janeway's and Beverly Crusher. These ones you could jet with but would be crossing a line either story wise or character wise.

3. the unattainable one. Such as Seven of nine , Kes though she also could be conceded a 2 because of her age both show wise or actor wise choose you pick, Jadzia Dax and that other Dax though she is more one than three or even two than three. Any who these one are the ones we are meant to be attracted to or wonted but are either so damaged that attaining a lasting relationship with one is nearly impossible or so far out of your league that you don't even try.

As the righters wonted her gone but did wont to kill her of as. One this would course a manger black lash from the Kes fans and as you may know Voyager was on pity rocky legs before seven came along so they couldn't risk losing any more fans and two as she is a good guy people would wont to see her have a more or less happy end so the wrought up the gift evolution BS. By they never bothered to explain anything so that is what I intend to do. Though the Devil you know story line will manly forces around seven, Chakotay and Janeway I'm going to try and do my best to keep the other characters relevant as often characters that aren't the main pairing get lost mess treated or ignored now I'm not criticizing any one this is just a fact.

Now as for Seven and Chakotay I will eventual pair them if this story continues but not until after my take on dark frontier but I will be leaving hints here and there. But if this sort continues not to dawn in readers and reviews than I will be forced to end this story before we can get to that. But not to worry I will just try again in a less ambition one shots like **Scifiromance **and others have created. Perhaps I should have started out small than went bigger but live and learn. But not to worry I will continue this until I reach "No progress is without cost" which will be my take on scientific method but I won't be doing big mega chapters as I have done so in the past instead I will split one mega chapter onto smaller sup chapters. This should mean faster editing and more chapters quicker.

So instead of eight long chapters we will have eight arks for each chapter. If that makes any sense.

Chapter 1 Beginnings

Chapter 2 Fox and the Scorpion part one

Chapter 3 Fox and the Scorpion part two

Chapter 4 the biter gift part 1

Part2, part 3 and part 4

Chapter 5 Honor and duty. I haven't started righting yet but I will aim for 3 parts

Chapter 6 Enemy's

Chapter 7 on raven wings

Chapter 8 no progress is without cost

Please read, review Yours Alaster Boneman


	6. Chapter 6 the bitter gift part 3

The bitter gift chapter three

Au: I'm going to upload the rest of this story so I don't have to deal with any more. I know it sucks bring on the hate I don't care anymore. Douse this mean I'm quitting fan fiction? No I'm just sick of this story I won't it gone make it as a failure and move with my life.

Ps Teya thanks for all your help and sorry I wasted you time.

**AN: This story was made for non-profit.** **Paramount**** owns star trek and I don't own anything other than my own insanity.**

**Captain's ready room**

'The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.'  
>Nathaniel Branden<p>

Kathryn was sitting in her chair behind desk. She sipping her favourite blend of black coffee while staring at her computer as it fed her yet more useless data. Rubbing her overworked eyes, she sighed in irritation. She had spent of most the day trying to gathering as much information on her new crew member 'Seven of Nine' as possible, but had been met with road block after road block.

This must have been the twentieth time she'd been forced to starting again from scratch. Using what little Chakotay had told her, which wasn't mush, in fact Chakotay was being extremely unhelpful in her search. She had to rely on the Doctor gave her, though his seemingly never-ending stream of medic reports and even that wasn't helping as must as she had hoped. She had, Harry Kim going through the Borg technology in cargo bay two, in hopes that they could find the missing pieces to the puzzle that was Seven of Nine's true history but even reliable Harry had come up short.

'Like trying to finding a needle in a hay stack' she thought bitterly. It didn't help that said hay stack was over eighteen years old and was scatted half way through the galaxy. Like the young woman herself had her history been mangled by the Borg insidious touch.

Nearly two hours had past and she had to fight down the urge to throw her computer across her ready room as it spat out yet more useless information, she finally found pay dirt. A report made by one Irene Hansen, twin sister to Magnus Hansen and her husband Harold Olsson who had died about ten years ago in a car accident in Stockholm Sweden where most of the Hansen family came from apparently.

Irene and her husband and Annika's grand farther 'Oscar Hansen' had reported their family members missing two years after Annika's sixth birth day not long after Annika parents deadline to return had expired. She was able putting two and two together she realised that Annika, or Seven of Nine would have been assimilated two years by that point. More bad news befell the family as Oscar Hansen had died a few years after that.

There was very little on Erin's side of the family. Expect before she was married Annika's mother's maiden name had been Wilson. She and her parents had originally hailed from the Tendara colony in the DMZ. The colonies weren't always reliable when it came to updating their data bases. So information about Erin's family history was slim at best. What she did manage to find wasn't very encouraging. Erin had no brothers or sisters and both her parents who apparently had both severed for a time in Starfleet but had left and had both passed years ago.

Kathryn let out a heavy mournful sigh before taking a sip of her coffee. She noticed it had gone cold and a thin milk skin had formed over the surface of her dink. She nearly gaged as the liquid entered her mouth. She set the coffee aside and refocused on the matter at hand.

It seemed to her that Annika Hansen, or Seven of Nine didn't have much in the way of family any more. It was like Chakotay had said, she been raised by the Borg. In a messed up way they were her family. Kathryn felt a shiver at the thought that anyone could be subjected to that kind of life let alone a child, that fact only served to strengthen her resolve. She would save the young woman's life come hell or high water she has no other choice. Pushing past the tragedy of her latest crewman's life she focussed on the records. Specifically those she had found on Magnus and Erin Hansen. They both had PHDS in exobiology and were consider mavericks in their fields. They had dedicated their careers to studying the Borg, at a time when most people believed they were nothing more than the stuff of campfire story's, made up by people who had spent too much time alone in the depths of space. This was of course years before Q's meddling and the battle of wolf 359 where the horrible truth of the Borg was revealed to the Federation as a whole.

Until now these files had probably been setting collecting dust in some desk jockeys office. The last official record of Annika Hansen was when their small ship the USS Raven was documented at Deep Space Sixteen in the omega sector as they headed closer to the Romulan border all the while refusing to file a flight plan.

Kathryn was distracted from the files by the beep of someone wanting to enter her ready room. "Come in" Janeway called and the doors opened to reveal Chakotay who was caring a few pads in his hands, he walked over to her and handed her the pads. He had starting to look like he was back to his normal self again. The haunted and sullen mood that had hung over him like a storm cloud, while still present was far less noticeable then it had been yesterday. There were still heavy bags that hung under his eyes to day they had all but faded and there was still weariness in his penetrating gaze; she was able to look past it to see he was becoming the man she had befriended over three, now coming up on four years ago.

Her mind wondered for a moment 'Four years! Where did the time go?' she pushed those thoughts to back of her mind, she could worry about the length of their journey latter. She finally noted the reports he was holding a little too tightly in his hands "Oh great more reports" Janeway signed in irritated. "You wouldn't mind giving me a verb summery would you Commander?" she asked giving him a tired smile.

He gave her a curt nod "Of not course Captain" Chakotay said his voice was clam and measured, note of tired frustration hinted at his long day dealing with Voyager main problems. "We have got two teams on the hull striping of the Borg armour and removing the modifications, their working around the clock but its slow going. Apparently some of it just keeps on growing back" Chakotay told her taking a seat. He let out a heavy sigh as he all, but fell into the chair.

"Growing back?" Janeway asked her eye brows raised as she peered at him in disbelief "I know Borg technology is different from ours but it's hardly alive now is it!?" Janeway stated glaring at the report he handed her "How about the warp dive?" She asked "I would like to get back to a reasonable pace"

"I think we all would" Chakotay said noting her choice of words as he took as he eased his tried body into the chair. After hours of being in command on bridge and running around gathering reports like some cadet fresh out the alchemy eager to please. Only with the extra reasonability of hearing out the concerns of the crew, that amounted to a universal paranoia about having a drone on board. There was also a growing frustration everyone felt while they removed the modifications that they themselves had only installed lest then days ago. Only now without the insight of Seven of nine to guide them. The irony of that didn't escape him. "B'Elanna says she can't get a stable reaction out of the plasma relays. Apparently some of the Borg modifications have infiltrated more of engineering systems then we first thought. There disrupting the antimatter reaction and until her team can clean them out we stuck at impulse. She has also requested all personnel with a level three Engineer rating or higher to lend a hand" Chakotay stated as he remembered B'Elanna told him to leave himself of that list. Not that he could really blame her. His skills at matinée were very minimal. Once on the Val gean B'Elanna had went so far as to banish him from the engine room after a scuffle with a Cardassian border patrol, when they needed every hand to help with repair as they could get. Saying at the time the, 'He should leave the repairs to her and she'd leave commanding to him'.

"Granted" Janeway told him evenly. "What's our tactical situation?" Janeway asked skimming absently though another data pad.

A frown pulled at his mouth, ageing his face as he ran hand though his hair, "Frankly not good. Form what we can tell were still stuck in the Borg space. Our combat systems took a lot of damage from our battle in fluidic space. Our port phaser backs are completely burnt out. We won't be able to fix those until we can make planet fall or find a friendly space dock. We are down to seventeen class ten photon torpedoes and the starboard shield emitters are fried. However our little journey in fluidic space did manage to knock of at least four months of our journey but it spat us out in the middle of nowhere. Now we only have a vague idea where we are in comparison to the nearest border of Borg space. The senses have picked up some Borg Tran's warp signatures. According to Harry they're a couple of days old a week at the most" Chakotay informed Kathryn evenly before tailing of as he noticed that Kathryn's attention had gone back to the computer screen she had been studying when he had come in. She must have noticed his searching look as took her eyes of her computer screen and refocused on him.

Kathryn took one final sip of her coffee, noted bitterly that coffee had gone cold during their conversation. "Seven of Nine might be able to help us with removing those modifications, she's certainly the resident expert on Borg technology" Janeway suggested lightly.

Chakotay gritted his teeth at her suggestion. "Kathryn, are you sure that's the right move?" He asked his face like his tone was grim. "She's not exactly going to be in a cooperative mood when she wakes up is she?" He asked noting Kathryn's look of irritation and disappointment. "_She may want to help us…. in time…" _he said a length not wanting to start another arguing match with Kathryn. He took a studying breath. "but right know all she will wont to do is return to the Collective, she will do anything or say anything to achieve that goal" Chakotay told her coolly his voice firm.

Kathryn got up and got herself a new coffee form her replicator, "You could help her let of go of the Collective and realise her humanity." She told him with an accusing hint in her voice. "You more than anyone else on board knows what she going though." Janeway said siting back down on her chair facing her seconded in command.

He looked past Kathryn and out to the star filled void that hung unmoving through the view of window behind her. "She'll need to be the one to come to terms with what's happing to her. And she'll need to do it in her own time and in her own way… if you push…" He trailed tarring eyes away from the cold distant stars. His gaze fell back on Kathryn to see her scowling disapproval. He was not to be detoured though "You know I have doubts about all this Kathryn"

She stood up and glared down at him like a disapproving teacher "You reached her once. Why not do it again? Make her understand that this, is all for the best. Why can't you a least do that?" Janeway asked with steel in her voice, her body tensed.

He glared at her anger filling his heart "Because I don't believe this is all for the best" Chakotay sapped. Seeing Kathryn's eyes go wide at his outburst he felt shame fill him. He could not recant what he said or how he felt even if it made him fell like his guts twisted in disgust at his own words. "You think I might be able to…. _Relate!_ to her struggle after what I went through with Riley and her Co-operative! _But I can't…. I just can't!_" he said hotly before taking a breath. "I was connected to half a dozen deluded former drones led by a fanatic" Chakotay stated quietly as he felt his hands clench into fists and his fingers dig into the worn palms of his hand painfully. He took a deep breath to steady himself again as he saw shock fill Kathryn's face, which than gave into regent then finally, resolve. Maybe he could help but he didn't believe that he could speed the traumatised and resentfully drone woman towards humanity if that was even possible. Especially when he didn't believe that was. Seven of Nine would betray them of that he had no doubt; the only real question that filled his jaded mind was 'when would she do it, and would they survive it?'

Kathryn was taken aback but the venom his words held. Whatever demons had clung to his psychic from his link to the Co-operative and Seven of Nine, by extension the Collective. It was obvious they still haunted him and poisoned his outlook. What was worse was everything he had said made near perfect sense if their positions were reversed. 'Know his wrong we… I can reach her' she thought. "Ok. Ok." Janeway said in a calming tone as she lifted her hands in order to calm him like she would have done for the horse's her family had owned when she was a teen, when the animals had been spooked by a storm. "Then I'll have to be the one to reach her but I think this should help" she said her voice bitter, she had really had hoped he could change his mind on this but he was going to budge.

"Chakotay met Annika Hansen" Janeway said rotating the computer screen to face him showing him the picture of what looked a four year old girl with long wavy blonde hair with sky blue eyes. The picker of Annika was smiling happily without a care in the world.

Chakotay's anger and frustration faded as he was stuck by the picture. It was the very same little girl he seen in, Seven of Nine's memories although this was an early incarnation of her but there was no doubt in his mind they were one in the same. "So she was real…" Chakotay said quietly, his deep brown eyes widen in recognition. Havening seen his reaction Kathryn raise an eyebrow and gazed at him suspiciously. "It's hard to believe that she's is our Borg" he said trying to cover up his reaction but Kathryn was no one's fool as her face tensed. "I suppose they were all, people once…"

"Chakotay is there something you're not telling me" Janeway asked peering at him and wondering what he wasn't telling her. He had kept most of what he had seen and experienced during his link with Seven of Nine to himself, much to her annoyance just like he did after the incident with the Co-operative, he only ever told her the basics. She long suspected he knew more then he let on.

"Not really" Chakotay told her forcefully, his body become stiff as irritation surged though him.

"Very well have it your way" she said with a slightly hurt expression filling her face. Chakotay merely regarded her impassively. Seeing that he would not budge, she gave him her best 'I'll let it go for now' glare. "As it stands I was able to find some information although there wasn't much to find" Janeway told him, her frustration over her many failures filling her voice "What records I found on her parents say, they were unconventional to say the least."

Chakotay only nodded grimly thinking to himself, 'You could say that again.' He felt guilty for his own biases. He had no right to judge people he had only seen though the memories of a child who had been assimilated and been brutalized by the Collective for most of her life, to only then carry out those same brutality's on countless others. Like a snake eating its own tail. He shivered at the thought.

Kathryn noted his silence but pushed on "They considered themselves explorers but wonted nothing to do with Starfleet" she said shaking her head in bemusement. She had moved behind Chakotay while she talked now standing over his shoulder. "Their names were last recorded at a remote outpost in the Omega sector; they refused to file a flight plan. Apparently they aimed their ship, The U.S.S Raven at the delta quadrant and were never heard from again until now. Crew manifest Dr Magnus Hansen, Dr Erin Hansen and Annika Hansen. It looks like what you told me was more or less right" Janeway told him evenly as she saw his expression changed from his cool somewhat unreadable expression to one of recognition and regret. "We have to help her Chakotay" Janeway told him seriously.

He gave what Kathryn had said some thought before speaking his mind. "She does need our help right now Kathryn" he admitted sheepishly "But you have to face the fact that it may not be possible for her, to become human again. She may not even wont to stay. And your plans to bring her into the fold that may not be possible either." He emitted feeling guilt at been so pessimistic at Seven on Nines chances but when they were dealing with the horrific truth of the Collective's nature that was too great to be ignored. Even if what Kathryn was suggesting was possible, even if Seven of Nine came to believe that she was human and embraced all the trials and tribulations that came with that. What would happen when they came upon the Borg again? What if one day she just snapped? He could partly feel both Napayshi's and Kathryn's disappointment in him in his doom ridden outlook, although his wolf spirit guide might just agree with him out of spite as Napayshi had a long held dislike adjust Kathryn for reasons his glide had never divulged.

"What's the alternative? Toss her back to the, wolves?" Janeway asked accusing anger making her short stocky frame shake as her light brown eye burn with determination "No Chakotay. I will not give up on her. I will do this even without your help" Janeway said noticing Chakotay's face become slightly guilt ridden for a moment before giving her a look of reserved support.

He may have had his doubts about all this but he also knew that if anyone was stubborn or crazy enough to get Seven of Nine on the road to humanity then Kathryn Janeway had both in spades. Before he could say anything more Kathryn's com badge beeped.

"Go ahead" Janeway said pressing her com badge.

"Doctor to Captain Janeway, it's time once again for your update on our patient status…" said the Doctor his voice smug.

Kathryn looked at Chakotay and rolled her eyes "I swear he's getting worse" she said her voice quiet and filled with frustration.

Chakotay grimaced at her joke. He was forced to agree the Doctor had always had an ego but of the last day or so he had been borderline disrespectful, especial to the Captain. The Doctor had not come out of sick bay since Seven of Nine had taken to be treated or so he herd. Chakotay hadn't gone anywhere near the sick bay or the comatose drone since he _recovered _so he had only hear say about the Doctors mood of late.

While the Doctor started going through his latest report of Seven of Nine's health they heard sudden crash of something heavy and metal resounded over the com. "What the?" the Doctor said sounding shocked, few intangible words were muttered and what sounded like grasps of shock! "You shouldn't…." the Doctor was talking to someone both Chakotay and Kathryn looked to each other in equal parts confusion and worry.

"Doctor what going on down their?" Chakotay asked.

For a moment there was silence then a howl like a banshee preached the silence. "WHAT HAVE DONE TO ME?" the voice usually monotone Seven on Nine screamed he voice was filled with panic. Both Chakotay and Kathryn could practically feel the drone woman's rage as they ran out of the read room making for the turbo lift on the bridge.

As they arrived at the doors of the turbo lift Kathryn bard Chakotay's path "Commander Stay on the bridge" Janeway ordered before the turbo lift door opened and she stepped into the lift.

He stared dumbly at her "You must be joking!" Chakotay exclaimed. Her steely gazes that born into him stalling any rebellious thoughts that would have him tell her were to shove that order.

The turbo lift doors closed and she dialled in her destruction into the computer. "Computer isolate this frequency" Janeway told the ships computer which beeped in conformation. The turbo lift divider her onto deck six and sick bay Kathryn heard Kes's ever calm voice echo from the open com link.

"GET AWAY FROM US" Seven screamed at someone her voice frantic.

"Get down on the ground!" Aylen's commanded sternly.

"Please calm down everything is going to be fine" Kes said presumably to an enraged Seven of Nine. No doubt she was trying to calm the Borg woman down.

"YOU HAVE DEFILED US… RESTORE WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN" Seven shrieked hysterical.

"Kes get out of the way" Tuvok said his commanding voice easily making it though the open Com link. There seemed to be a struggle, some curse words that would make a Klingon sailor blush were shouted. "Hold her down so I can sedate her before hurts herself" the Doctor said. There was a sound of a struggle and a load crashing of mettle on the floor and several swear words.

"Hurt herself…..The bitch bloody punched me in the face" Rhianna Anderson cried out.

"You have to admit it was one hell of a punch" Fredrick Murphy said.

"I'm so going to…" Rhianna said before there was yet more crashes and yelling with main more colourful cursing words yelled.

"WE WILL NOT COMPLY WE WILL…GET OF….. US" Seven was yelling then all was silence.

**Sick bay**

Kathryn had spirted down the hall towards sick aby from the second the turbo lift doors opened "Doctor what the hell is going on in here?" Janeway asked hotly her breaths came in sort pants as she forced her way through still opening doors. "I thought….?" She trailed of as her gaze fell upon the sight before her. Sick bay looked like it had been hit by a bomb. The surgery bay was in complete disarray with tables thrown about and medic tools scatted all over the floor and a least one computer console smashed its screen spitting out sharks as nonsensical data spluttered on the broken display.

Crewman Rhianna Anderson sat on a bio bed near the door a sour expression on her dark face. She had a large black eye and a bleeding nose. Ensign Fredrick Murphy had a badly cut lip and was sitting next to her. They were both being treated for their minor injuries by Lieutenant Ayala who seemed no worse for wear. Kes was busy making quick work cleaning up the mess Seven of Nine had left in her wake.

Seven on Nine was lying unconscious, strapped to the main bio bed with a battered Tuvok stand over her with a phaser pistol hosted at his hip, his hand resting lightly on its stock. Tuvok's uniform was torn in serval places and he had a large red welt on his upper right check and a few small cuts that were already healing. Looked like her old friend and mentor had taken the worse of the beating, Kathryn knew Tuvok would not hold a grudge adjust the drone woman. The Doctor hovered over unconscious drone a grave expression filled his face as he scanned Seven of Nine with a tricorder.

Kathryn approached the prone from of Seven of Nine. She was struck dumb for a moment by the change to the woman's appearance. Many of the Implants and armour that had dominated the younger woman's head and neck had been removed. The spider like implant that once covered the back of the woman's skull was gone a mass of derma plastic gores now covered her scalp. The optical implant had been reduced to little more than a silver eyebrow that curved around her left eye socket. Kathryn was horrified to see that the eye itself had being removed, a small silver ring filled with complex wires and circuitry filled the eye socket. The armour plate that had covered much of the right side of the drones face including her ear was gone, leaving a piece of metal with erratic blinking lights, fused to her pale skin behind her ear. Below the same ear a silver semi star shaped implant that protruded from her pale skin.

The removal of Borg implants from Seven of Nine's arms was even more extreme if that was possible. Much of her the armour that had once the covered the limbs had being removed. However the entirety of her left arm however seemed to have silver vein that wrapped around the limb like an ivy creeper crawling up a weathered tree. The vain like metal waved in and round flesh and muscle running down from her shoulder to her fingertips inclosing her hand in a semi gantlet. Her right arm was far more human the only evidence that the Borg had tinted the limb was a small silver and black plug implant that emerged from the bicep. The greatest change above the steadily disappearing implants was her skin that had in places had taken on a far healthier hue. A portion of armour plating on her upper right leg had been replaced with grey dermal raps and here and there Kathryn could make out the tell tail sign of skin grafts and upon closer inspection much of her remaining armour and implants had lost their black and silver gleam turning rust brown in places. The changes to the rest of Seven of Nine's body weren't quite as extreme most of her chest and torso armour had remained untouched.

Kathryn refocused her mind and on the task at hand. Looking the Doctor in the eye she could see his puzzlement and concern on his artificially aged face. "Would you care to explain what the just happed Doctor? I thought you had her sedated?" Janeway asked hotly as her eyes bored into the Doctors.

He looked away sheepishly. "I did" he told the captain sternly before glancing around the sickbay sheepishly. "Captain I'm sorry but I can't explain it right now. There should have been no way for Seven of Nine to have woken up a few moments ago. I purposely designed a new sedative to counter act the adaptability of her nano probes." He told her handing her a slight battered data pad. "I'd just finished removing the outer layer of the armour on the left side of her lower abdomen" he said pointing to an area below her left ribs which seemed to be a mix of wires and mottled flesh. "When I called to give you an update…. She just woke up and well you know the rest" he said with a sigh "I'm sorry Captain…. I must have missed something….." the Doctor said sound generally remorseful as he started to scan the drone woman's head. A look of bewilderment filled his face while he studied the read outs.

Kathryn pitched her nose and let out a heavy sigh "We got lucky this time at least no one was badly hurt, but until she is more stable Seven of Nine is to be restrained at all times" Janeway said looking over to her injured crewman who had retaken their positions in the sick bay without comment. Though their glares said more than words ever would. "Doctor, just tell me how you can stop it from happing again!"

While the Captain was berating the Doctor, Kes had finished cleaning up the aftermath of the drone woman's fury she had now moved to the Doctors side, a distant expression on her petty face, her light purple eyes had a slight glow to them that no one in the sickbay notice as all eyes were still focused on Seven of Nine as tension filled the air.

Kathryn saw confusion and worry fill Doctors face. He even started biting his lip which was unusual to say the least. "What's wrong?" Kathryn asked feeling a twinge in her gut.

"I'm not sure…These readings seem to indicate a massive adrenalin surge in her system. Such a surge could have purged the sedatives from her body but I can't seem to find the source. I'm also reading increasing erratic neuro activity…" he trailed of his frustration growing each moment that past. "These dam implants are playing havoc with my scans" the Doctor explained quickly.

Kes's face went weight… she could sense something was wrong with the drone woman. A Alarm started blaring as Seven of Nine's body started trashing adjusted the restarts. Foam started pouring from her mouth. Tuvok and the other Security offices bodies tensed and readying their weapons. She could fell the chaotic pain that flowed from the drone but she could also feel something else. Not from the drone this time but coming of herself. Her very form started to glow with an inner light. New avenues of potential closed off to or hidden from her_,_ suddenly opened to up like flowers fallowing the path of a star that gave them life.

"What the hell is happing?" Janeway yelled over the blaring of alarms trying to stop the noise by bringing up her hands to cover her ears.

The Doctor didn't answer as he run over to a nearby computer console. "She's going into neural shock." the Doctor said his words tinged with horror. Kes walked closer to Seven of Nine with an instance look of contraction on her face "We need stabilize her motor cortex! Kes get a neuro sequencer stat!" the Doctor told her only now did he notice an un-earthly glow coming from her his program sensory import must have being malfunctioning. "Kes!" the Doctor snapped at her but she didn't respond. "I said to get a dammed neuro sequencer or we will going lose her" the Doctor yelled at his assistant snapping Kes out of her whatever it was.

Kathryn and the others finally took note of the young Ocampan. Her form shifted and shimmered like light refracting of water "Kes?" Janeway asked concurred as she motioned the security offers with her to stand down.

"I can see it" Kes said her voice sounded was akin to a distant echo. She opened her eyes to reveal bright multi-coloured light pouring from them.

The Doctor programing couldn't comprehend what was happing to Kes's form but as the alarms attached to his patient continued to wail and she bucked like some rabid animal he knew he had to act if he didn't he would lose seven of nine. "We don't have time for this" the Doctor yelled, walking over and grasping the neuro sequencer that Kes was ignoring. He was about to press it into Seven of Nine's neck when the tool was hit by an invisible force and flew across the sick bay. He stared in disbelief at his assistant "Kes have you lost your mind?"

She stared at the Doctor for the first time seeing how his programme was held to gather and the bubble of being that surrounded him. She had never being able to see his aura before. She could practically touch it she wondered absently how it worked a part of her wonted to figure it out 'maybe she could make the Doctor into a real human?' She glanced at the others in the room. She could see the bright colours of their life forces twisting around them like fire flies trapped in a bottle. Poor things so blind to the wounder existence around them…she could just reach out and show them…. Kes shuddered at the thought pushing it away denied it. She refocused her mind at the task at hand. "If you used that neuro sequencer you would have killed her Doctor." She said her voice suddenly very loud before she trailed of as the light the eliminated from her body increased. "I see the problem it is her calculi" Kes told the Doctor his face draining of colour. She looked into Seven of Nine's body and saw a small grey star shaped implant latched onto her trochlear nerve. "A Borg implant, it's pressing against her trochlear nerve"

The Doctor felt horror fill him at what he had nearly done but refocused on the task at hand "Can you tell me how to remove it without severing the nerve?" Asked the Doctor shocked.

"I can to do more the just tell you… I can remove it myself." Kes told him, her eyes glowed brighter. She looked into the drone again and found the implant. She forced on it glowed then detached from the nerve before disintegrating.

The drone woman stopped thrashing she became still once more and the alarms stopped ringing. The Doctor pulled out a tricorder and scanned Seven of Nine again "The implant is disintegrated. It's gone and there, doesn't seem to be any damage to the nerve her readings are returning to normal…well normal for her" the Doctor trailed of. He was impressed but mystified by what Kes had done. She had never show that level of power before.

"Well done Kes" Janeway said slowly stepping closer to the younger woman to only find her way barred by Tuvok a silent worrying filled his dark face. "You should be proud" Janeway told her gently.

Kes didn't respond what appeared to be eerie almost smile spread across what Kathryn took to be the Ocampan's face, it was hard to tell as her body wavered back and forward from a solid yet glowing form to some other form that occupied some kind of unreality "You can stop now Kes" Kathryn told her friend her voice quite but stern.

She saw worry and fear flicker across everyone else's aura's expect for Tuvok his aura was harder to read. The ugly emotions were darker patches of colour among the maelstrom of emotion that flickered around their bodies. "But I can do so much more!" Kes stated her voice like thunder as the whole sick bay vibrated with her pronunciation. She looked down at Seven of Nine's and saw a dull grey could aura around the woman 'if it could be called that' she thought darkly taking a dislike to the drab colours. She hardened her gazed and saw flashes of reds and darker tones of fury and fear that clung to aura even in sleep. She saw the makeup of her implants and her body and as she had done only moments ago released the bonds that interwove the prevented and twisted metal from the woman's flash.

Black armour on the drone's right leg from the knee down to her ankle stared to glow. They detached from Seven's leg leaving raw and bristled skin behind. Other random implants from all over Seven of Nine's body started meeting the same fate. Something went wrong where the implants had been gashes started appearing and blood started welling up.

"Kes stop this right now" Kathryn ordered as she looked from one woman to the other horror filling her, Tuvok pushed her out of the way an approached Kes warily.

Kes either didn't hear the Captain or simply didn't care as more armour and implants fell away from the drone woman and inflicting more wounds. The Doctor furiously tried to reach Seven of Nine but a force field knocked him back.

"KES…. You must stop this!" Tuvok told her his normal calm deep voice suddenly loud as he gripped her left arm to break her concentration. He grimaced in pain as he felt his hand started burn, he held un for as long as he could pleading for her come to her senses but the pain became too much and he grunted in pain.

Kes snapping her trance and fell to the floor the glow from her body fading fast. She felt revelation at her actions barley able to understand what she had being doing a moment ago. It was almost like she was possessed as if someone or something else had taken over for a slit second ….. She felt sick she though she may even trow up but she batted down the urge "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to…" Kes said, tears rolling down her face.

"It is ….all right the injury is….. Only minor" Tuvok said reassuring his friend and student. Kes quickly got off the floor and griped a dermal regenerate from nearby table and ran it over his burnt hands.

Once the task was complete Kes scanned the room and saw horrified expressions on their faces. She took one glace at the Captain and immediately wished she hadn't anger and confusion boiled of her in waves making Kes cringe from the shear volume of it. She turned to the Doctor hoping some kind of support but knew he wouldn't give it as he ran his tools over the drone woman's batted body. She finally looked back to Tuvok and despite his reassurances. She could feel the pain come of him. 'What have I done?' she asked herself as fresh tears rolled down her face. "Doctor" she squeaked "Is she going to….?" Kes asked her voice meek.

The Doctor tried to give Kes a kind smile but he knew it didn't reach his eye. "Don't worry there's no permanent damage done" the Doctor told her kindly haven stopped the bleeding and was now adding fresh bandages on the areas of newly exposed flesh.

"I want to know right now! What the hell just happened?" Janeway asked feeling anger build with in her, she had nearly lost the woman she was trying to save, then there was what just happened to Kes and it brought an unpleasant feeling into her stomach.

"I just felt… I could do more. I didn't mean to hurt anyone" Kes said meekly looking down at her feet unable to look the Captain in the eye.

Kathryn rubbed her throbbing tumbles "Doctor?" Janeway asked hotly never taking her eyes of Kes.

"Kes has been experiencing an increase in her mental capabilities" the Doctor informed the Captain calmly walking in front of Kes as if to shield her from the Captain's baleful gaze. He couldn't have Captain Janeway forcing her wrath on Kes. Not when his student and friend was already punishing herself. What help would that be?

Kathryn felt her anger and frustration grow. "And why pray tell wasn't I informed about this! Why is it all of a sudden my crew cannot, follow the simplest of orders or inform me when one of them starts developing uncontrollable telekinetic ability's!" Janeway hissed though gritted teeth.

"Firstly this is the first time we have ever seen Kes ability's that you, yourself have always encouraged and prompted have a negative effect. Second in case you missed it, she just saved Seven of Nine's life!" the Doctor retorted hotly both to defend his judgment and Kes, but by the thunderous expression on Captain Janeway's face, she didn't see it his way.

"She also attacked Tuvok, your own patient…Its blind luck we, weren't all reduced to vegetables….." Janeway exclaimed bitterly. She saw hurt fill Kes's face. She immediately regretted her words. "Kes I can't portend that I have the first clue what's going on, and I you haven't had the best time of it lately but we agreed that if you were ever having problems with you… ability's… that you would come to me or Tuvok" she said breathing a heavy stressed filled sigh.

Tuvok saw the expression on his Captain face and wished to defuse the situation before either the Doctor or Captain Janeway said or did anything they may regret. They could not allow themselves to be distracted there was too much at stake to allow their egos to make irrational decisions. "Doctor" Tuvok intoned putting a calming hand the Doctors blue clad shoulder. "The Captains has a right to be concerned. For all we did know this may not be an isolated incident" Tuvok said. "But anger and frustration will gain us nothing" he said stepping between his Captain and the holo graphic man. "We have to act only once we have gained a greater understanding of what has been presented to us rather than comment ourselves to irrational actions that will only hinder our shared objectives." Tuvok said his saw he words had the desired calming effect on his fellow's. "I for one have rarely seen psychic kinetic ability's shown on this level" he informed them calmly eyeing Captain Janeway in such a manner to cache his meaning before turning his gaze to Kes. "Kes, perhaps if you enlighten us to your carnet state of being. We may all work together to find a solution to this unusual dilemma" Tuvok said impassively seeing both Captain Janeway and the Doctor giving nods of agreement.

"Ok …" Kes said meekly looking up at Tuvok, a grateful smile filling her face.

Kes explained the strange visions she had in the Aeroponics bay as well as other incidents over the last few weeks. She even admitted her feeling disconnection from the rest of the crew she felt of late. She was glade of Tuvok's unflinching support, he went so far as to offer to re continue her training with the goal of understanding her new found powers However Captain Janeway was reluctant to say the least to see Kes explore her new found powers.

The Doctors had tried to remain supportive though out Kes exploration but her words had troubled and even hurt him.

Weather this came from the fact she had not confident in him as she had done so freely in the past or his own ego about being in tune with his assistant and friend as he thought he was, Kes could not say. However for the first time in months she felt a weight lift form her chest, a weight she didn't even know she had been carrying around.

Kathryn had felt a growing concerned and frustration build up inside until she knew that outwardly she now resembled a pot of coffee about to boil over. "I've heard enough" she snapped then turned her fiery gare to the Doctor. "Doctor, you are going to dedicate all the resource at our disposal to save Seven of Nine life and return her to as human a state as possible and find out what is wrong with Kes and find a way to treat it, everything else is secondary". She said hotly, "As for you Kes your off duty until further notice" Janeway ordered before storming out of sickbay.

Kathryn felt a swell of negativity as she all but stormed out of sick bay. In less than a week Chakotay had outright betrayed her and undermined her control and authority. Their alliances with the Borg had blown up in their faces and as a result Seven of Nine was now their responsibility. To make a bad situation worse the younger woman had shown no indication of accepting of her humanity and now something was happing to Kes. 'Why did it have to be Kes?'

She just prayed to god this wasn't what was going to cause her to do the unthinkable as she had done nearly three years ago. No that time hadn't come yet and she'd dammed if she was going to let it.

**Voyager **

Kes was tired after the Doctor had subjected her to hours of unproductive tests. The result of which had made him come to two conclusions. Firstly: she was in perfect health and was not under any alien influence as far as he could tell. Second: when her powers had been active her body went into a kind of flux.

Once her exams were finished, he went back to treating Seven of Nine, now missing his assistant and needing an extra pair of hands the Doctor had reluctantly called Tom down from the bridge. Not that there was much for Tom to do at the helm for the moment as the ship would lose a race against a snail Tom's words not hers.

Kes had spent some time in the mess hull. She tried to eat something, she wasn't even hungry more than anything she wanted company but most of the crew had already heard about what happen in sickbay and they avoided her like the plague. Proving that Voyagers rumour mill had a life of its own. She could only wonder who had blabbed.

This was not the first time the rumour mill had chosen her as its target but it was the first time the rumours hurt. She knew there had been rumours for years about her and Tom or her and the Doctor and others besides. She never paid much attention to them her ability's would reveal the truth to her. Even so she was all too aware of the crew's stares and hushed whispers. Sick of their stares, she got up to put her dish into the replicator. She passed Magana Fairbank and Mal Fisher who were sitting at a table near the replicator and overheard their wisped conversation.

"Did you hear what Kes did in sickbay?" Ensign Magana Fairbank. She worked down in engineering, she was a stocky Indian woman with black hair tired in a wispy pony tail, she whispered to Mal Fisher he had watery grey eyes and greyish black hair with a prominent jut and ridiculous mutton chops. Crewman Mal Fisher worked mainly with the Voyagers commutations and senses.

Mal Fisher nodded in agreement "Yar the way I hear it she went banana balls and attacked Tuvok, I tried to ask Ayala about it but you know how he is, I swear that man has the personality of a stick in the mud" he whispered snidely back.

"Yar you know how those Maquis are with their, one for all and all for one, stuff!" Magana Fairbank said snidely. Mal never answered only giving her look filled snide agreement.

Kes was about to place her tray of half eaten plant of steamed crayfish and rice in the replicator. It was akin to a dish she had favoured since childhood. When she caught Neelix's eye, he was standing behind the galley bar serving, crewman Shan Lin a nice if quite Chinese man who worked down in deck fifteen. Neelix face's was flushed with anger a contrast to his usually cheerful demeanour. He obviously had overheard the conversation as well. He was undoubted about too rebuke the pair. Kes caught his eye and shook her head to dissuade him. She wordlessly shoved her tray into the replicator and activated the machines recycle protocol and shot the two chatty crewmen a baleful glance.

She felt satisfied when both Mal Fisher and Magana Fairbank sunk into themselves. But as she left the mess hull feeling venerated. She was still all too aware of the crew's chatter increasing at her departure.

Kes left the deck feeling drained of energy and battling a headache. She decided she should go to her quarters. She barely managed to reach the door to her quarters and dialled in her code into the key pad. This was no normal headache only how did she realised that her senses were opening up to allow more visions entry into her mind. She barely managed to step inside her quarters as the doors hissed close behind her. She slumped to the floor with her back to the cold of the metal door. Her sight clouded and the head ache fell away to nothing and a strange kind of bliss consumed her. Reality fell away and time slowed.

A vision flowed into her. Her vision self was standing in her room but it was not as she had left it. There were fewer plants and her bed was now a king sized bed. Toys of all shapes and sizes litter the floor she bent over one that looked like a stuffed animal of some kind and saw a small gold ring on her ring finger.

She looked up from to see Tom Paris was standing in the middle of the room playing with young girl whom looked around eleven years old. Kes was stuck by the, simulates between herself and the girl, they shared the same ears and much of the same facial features. The girl's eyes were far bluer then hers, more like Tom's baby blue eyes and her hair was a darker shade of blonde. Kes had time enough to relies this was another glimpse into the life she could never lead.

The vision of that realty vanished quickly. A new vision took it place where Neelix was sitting on her, their bed before getting up unsteadily with the aid of a Cane as his right leg looked withered. In fact he looked down right sickly. There were no children this time but almost at impulse she looked down at herself, seeing her swelling belly she guessed it wouldn't be long before they were blessed with a child.

Then like the first vision this one faded to be replaced by a nightmare. There was no quarters this time no friendly face to great her. Only darkness filled with Borg technology lit by the green balefully light that that races technology was known for. She stepped back in horror only to bump into a drone version of Captain Janeway. The Janeway drone was for the most part was still intact, her eyes once light brown were now grey and lifeless her skin was as dead as Seven of Nine's own, her body coved in many of the same implants. She was horrified to see a drone verso of herself reflected in a nearby console. She felt like she was going to be sick, like the others before it fell away back into the either.

Another vision hit her, She was now floating in space as if in a bubble, she could see distant stars twinkling far away like firefly's in the night sky. She felt oddly calmed even if she couldn't feel anything….. Everything was silence. As she floated aimlessly though space, she saw Voyager or to be more process what was left of Voyager. There wasn't much left. Floating amidst the carnage was a glowing form. Even though the darkness of space she knew that glowing form was her future self. Her future self was laughing like a manic this vison too, fell way.

A new vison filled her and like the one before this vision filled her with a terrible dread. A planet burning, a massive ship shaped like some medieval long sword hovered above the dying world its weapons firing into the planet even as it died. The front was shaped like the point of a diamond along its long grey militaristic hull sat hundreds of weapons of war. Mighty engines sat at the rear of this monstrous ship.

She glimpse of the Captain of this craft. He was humanoid he…. it was sitting on a throne that looked as if it had been forged out of crude iron. Even siting he was at least eight foot tall. His body was covered in an amour which looked so advanced as to make the armour that coved Seven of Nine look like it had be forged in the Stone Age. There were pipes running bluish green energy around his body. His armour was all sharp angles and lines of the same bluish green energy that ran the length of his body. His hands were more like claws of some great and feral predator, his boots were spiked and wicked looking. Then there was his face or lack thereof as he wore a featureless vised helmet which was sleek and the visor itself was a baleful bluish green colour. At his shoulders were draped a long red clock that reached the floor. He turned to stare right. His featureless vised reflected her own face. Then he spoke in a voice that sounded regale and was deep that threating violence. "I can see you!" he mocked. He stuck out a clawed hand and hit her with a force that felt like a sledge hammer to her stomach.

The vision faded making Kes reel in pain. Cold and emptiness filled her as she tumbled between hundreds of defect realities, some were familiar and others were totally alien. Her mind filled with endless possibilities. It took her a great deal of effort to regain her sense of self. Slowly she let go of the visons and returned to her own realty but before she did she saw… something…. Something else it twisted and pulsed with unknowable power and beaut. She returned to her own realty her normal life now though it felt like a burden. She thought the weight of this reality might crush is she remained here. She could not articulate this in words as much as feelings.

She was back in her mundane quarters and her mundane life, she knew now that her destiny wasn't on Voyager not anymore. Her time here was coming to its end. There was something greater out there in the endless reaches of possibility, she glimpsed it, and it looked to her like some great flower read to open to welcome her, like a warm loving in brace. She needed to know what it was; she needed to break though the last barriers holding her back. She taped her Comm badge.

"Kes to Tuvok" she said softly.

"May I assume by this call you have reconsidered re-starting your mental training under my direction" Tuvok asked.

"Yes, I'll meet you in your quarters" Kes said simply and left her quarters knowing she would never come back to them.

**Sick bay **

The Doctor had reluctantly called in Lieutenant Tom Paris to assist him. Tom was the only other person on board with sufficient knowledge in medicine, besides himself and Kes to be of any help in treating Seven of Nine as well as trying to understand what was wrong with Kes.

Despite the fact that Tom was after all was said and done was a glorified nurse. Tom had only agreed to train as a field medic and nurse when his program was more 'limited'. All that had changed when Kes started to study medicine and he had got his mobile emitter as a result Tom shifts in sick bay had become less frequent to the point of none existence.

Tom was surprised when the Doctor asked for his help with medical treatment of Seven of Nine. Having not heard about Kes's incident, he thought the Doctor was having a joke at his expanse. It certainly wasn't a joke when Captain Janeway ordered him down to sick bay and with the Captain's mood of late he wasn't keen on risking her ire.

When he got down sick bay to help the Doctor he was both shocked and sickened by the Seven of nine's appearance. She was hooked up to all manner of machines. Her body a mix of Borg implants, scared deathly pail skin. Dermal plastic wraps weaved in an around, implants and scared flesh alike making her look like. Frankenstein's monster and a Mommy had one to many to drink one night and this poor woman was the result.

Tom felt a swell of pity at the sight of the half human, half drone woman strapped down to the main bio bed. A horrific memory was forced it's into his mind. He recalled when his father, the great admiral Owen Paris had taken him to a medial psychic word that was dedicated to the treatment of the few former drones that Starfleet and its allies and managed to free from the Collective.

Each one was a pitiful sight to behold. Some had been put into permanent medial comas to prevent them from harming them self or others. Others had been driven insane by what had been done to them and were little more than lobotomized zombies ranting endlessly. He recalled one particle pitiful soul, a Katarian girl called Slaalur, she was only fourteen. If she was not supervised she spent all her time banging her head on a wall to try and bash herself to death to stop the phantom voices that plaguing her day and night. He looked down at Seven of Nine's scared form and hoped that she at least would prove the exception rather than the rule. Tom swallowed a lump in his throat and forced the grim memories out of him mind. "Were did you need me Doc?" Tom asked with a forced smile.

"AR… Mr. Paris you're hear at last. Sorry for dragging you of the helm but needs must" the Doctor said not looking up from the implant he was removing from Seven of Nine's chest. It looked like a large metal wheel with grey wires attaching it to just above Seven of Nine's left breast.

Tom was unsure of what to make of the Doctor balsa attitude. "Um that's all right there's not much to do while were stuck at impulse" he said sheepish as the Doctor scanned the twisted implant with his tricorder it pulsed with a sickle green light in response.

The Doctor nodded portending to listen "Fascinating! Medical log. Supplement, implant 281. I believe I have found a binary shield adapter, this implant main function seems to a backup for the patients primary adaptive shield. My working theory is that if the main shield generation implant 127 were compromised than this implant would work in conjunction with implants 67 and 103, to provide the Drone's their adaptive shielding until they could be repaired" the Doctor muttered absently while reading, information his tricorder fed him. "Pass me the Tran-vatic mico scalpel if you kindly Mr. Paris?" he asked absently while holding out his hand.

Tom was more than a little unnerved by the fascination the Doctor had with all this Borg tech but he knew the hologram well enough to know he met nothing by it. "Sure" Tom said and looked at the nearest tray of medic equipment. "Mico scalpel, mico scalpel, where are you?" he said quietly.

The Doctor heard Tom's mutterings "Third to your right, Lieutenant" the Doctor told the other man rolling his eyes.

Tom picked up the tool and walked over handed it to the holo-graphic man. The Doctor then went about cutting the wires and removed the implant and placed it on a specimen tray with a number of other implants of all shapes and sizes. "I take it then, you haven't been studying those medic texts I gave you?" the Doctor asked setting about scanning the unconscious Seven of Nine again, pressing a hypo spay into her neck before putting down the empty canister. He then picked up a micro spanner. Which was a long prone snapped tool covered in blinking lights and he used it to start to loosen a piece of tubing that ran from Seven of Nine's upper shoulder to curve around and end just below her right breast. The thick black pipe disconnected from the drone woman's body with an anger hiss.

Tom felt his stomach do a flip at witnessing the procedure before him. "Well I've been meaning to but with everything that been going on and Kes being your full time nurse." Tom trailed off sheepishly scratching his scalp though his dark blonde hair while trying not to be sick.

The Doctor looked away from his work to give Tom Paris a scornful glare. "And what pay tell would the crew do if myself or Kes were incapacitated?" The Doctor asked disappointment filled his voice. Tom looked away shamefully. "Look Tom I know you don't like working in sick bay, the time may come when this crew may need you for more than flying this ship around" the Doctor told him not unkindly.

"I never thought about it like that…..sorry Doc. I'll try and get back to my studies..." Tom told him felling truly remorsefully.

"That's good to hear. But I plan to be here for many years to come, the last thing I'd do is leave this crew to make do with your unique approach to medicine" The Doctor said with a reassuring smile. "Now if you kindly prep 25cc of hydro Malchithe please"

He wasn't entirely sure if the Doctor had just insulted him or not, it was hard to tell when the Doctor was like this, "Right thanks I think?" Tom muttered as he and prepared the chemical putting it in a hypo syringe before handing it to the Doctor.

Tom and the Doctor continued to work together for a few hours at least, despite their combined efforts they had barely made a dent in the overall amount of implants infesting Seven of Nine's body. They did manage to finish installing a new optical implant that looked just like her real eye and would replace the implant that had been housed there. Thanks to one of the Doctor's long winded explorations. He had managed to reverse engineer the new optical implant from the old one. According to the Doctor it would have a lot of the same abilities as the previous model. That included night vision, heat vision as well as something the Tom nick named Crono vision. As they finished Captain Janeway walked into sick bay looking a great deal calmer then the last time either man had seen her.

"Tom, I'll prep the modified Nano probes, could you monitor them as they enter her blood stream and we will see what effects they have on the optical Nerve and the surrounding tissue." The Doctor ordered calmly.

"Sure thing Doc" Tom said as he walked over to the medical computer as the Doctor prepared a hypo spay filled with the tiny machines.

"Doctor I thought we were removing implants not installing new ones" Janeway asked as she crossed the sick bay, entering the surgery bay all the while giving the Doctor and Tom a perturbed glare as if they were both school boys caught egging the principal's new hover car.

"Nano probes have many functions besides installing implants, there design is quite fascinating" the Doctor told her almost gleefully as he pressed the hypo syringe filled with the nano machines into the skin beneath Seven of Nine's new eye. "I've never actually had the opportunity to study a living a Borg drone before. The samples I harvested from that corpses we recovered were not exactly in the best condition" he said and caught Captain Janeway giving him a hard glare. "What I meant to say was former…" he said trailing of when he caught Tom shaking his head then mouthing 'stop digging Doc'. "Right…. Captain if you would come over here I think you find this most enlightening" the Doctor said as we walked over to where Tom was standing monitoring the medical console.

Kathryn peered at the medic scans of Seven of Nine's brain matter as Tom dialled in commands into the monitor and the picture zoomed in on the optical design and the surrounding tissue. She saw hundreds of nano probes swarming around the mix of biologic and technological components that composed Seven of Nine's optical Nev. The nano probes as far as she could tell were not assimilating the tissue but what they were doing was a mystery to her. "What exactly are those things doing?" Janeway asked not liking the Doctors new found fascination with Borg nano technology.

"I'm glad you asked that Captain" he said gleefully as he went into lectern mood. "While studying the nano probes I reprogramed to target Species 8472. I came up on a thought if I can reprogram one set to attack tissue why not reprogram another set to repair. And that is just what I have done hear" the Doctor said sounding pleased with himself. "As we speck these nano probes are not only repairing any damaged tissue they find but also are integrating the new optical implant into her existing optical nerve. Once that task is complete they will harmlessly brake down. With these little helpers, I will be able to remove far more of her implants than I originally thought possible. With far fewer teething problems" the Doctor said enthusiastically.

"Can't you do all that with surgery?" Janeway asked pointedly once she had absolved what the Doctor had said. Needless to say she didn't like the idea of the Doctor plumbing the woman they were trying to bring back to humanity with more Borg technology.

"Well yes….. But in Seven of Nine's case, I it is best to avoid as many problems as possible. These reprogramed nano probes just help to take out as much of the guess work as possible and you have to admire the almost perfect design of this technology" the Doctor said admiringly.

"You admire them Doctor?" Janeway said as suspicion filled her face.

"Yes I admire what this technology can do" the Doctor told the Captain pointy before frowning in disgust "It's what the Borg use it for... besides the Nano probes in of themselves are just machines and like any technology can be programed for good or more sinister users. It's very likely that this technology was organically created with the ever best of intentions in mind, obviously over time it became perverted" The Doctor informed them evenly as he tried to consider when this technology may have started to go wrong. "It's always a shame to see good science go bad."

Kathryn rubbed her forehead and let out a heavy sigh. She didn't like this but the Doctor seemed convinced. "I trust your judgment Doctor to use the nano as you see fit. Just be careful" Janeway said then turned her attended to Tom. "Tom you can go back to bridge now I need to have a word with the Doctor" she told him.

"Right, Captain, see you later Doc" Tom said and quickly left the sick bay.

The Doctor had been reading a data dad when Captain Janeway dismissed Tom Paris. Tom seemed all to help to leave sick bay. He shook his head in dismay. "There's go another assistant" the Doctor muttered coldly under is a_rtificial breath._

Kathryn heard the doctor mutterings and rounded on him. "What was that Doctor?" she asked with a hiss.

"Nothing Captain" the Doctor reported coolly.

Kathryn decided to let the comment slip for now; she was getting tired of the Doctors _attitude _of late. She couldn't help wonder what bug had crawled up his ass in the last two and a half days. It was likely something do with his ethical programs. The Doctor had told her that even taken into account Seven of Nine's mental state. She had made a conscious choice about her own treatment that he could not in good conscience operate on her without her consent.

Fortunately she had over ruled him saying that Seven of Nine's situation was unique and she was mentally unable to make an informed decision. The Doctor had not whole heartily agreed, though he ultimately did as he was told. That had all changed yesterday when Kes had her little episode. Ever since then the Doctor had been borderline insubordinate. "If this is about Kes I had no chose but to relieve her of her duties and until. We can find out what the hell is going on and stop it. You're just going to have to cope with out a nurse for a while" Janeway said her voice hoarse.

"I know that Captain, but it's difficult to try and do any work on finding out what's wrong with Kes's when I have a patient in Seven of Nine's condition. When you insist on taking away my assistants." He said spite filling his words. Janeway gave him a stare that would intimate a Klingon war lord. He was taken aback and walked over to a table filed with data pads and handing one to Captain Janeway who started to rabidly read the text. The Doctor saw Janeway's light brown eyes go wide in shock and her face drain of colour.

**Next chapter 4**


	7. Chapter 7 the bitter gift part 4

The devil you know chapter 4

AU: I don't own anything you should know by now who douse and I don't care any more.

"We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward." Alison Croggon

**Sick bay**

Kathryn read and re read the data the Doctor gave her at least three times before she could form words. It was a mix of bio reading of Kes over the last few weeks. She was never had any particle knowledge of biology but she prided herself in her understanding of science. What the data seemed to be suggesting went far beyond anything she had ever seen before. "Doctor, is this information actuate?" she squawked

"I'm afraid so Captain over the last four days, Kes's bio signature as nearly lost complete atomic mass three times. Her mettle captaincies have increased beyond anything in the Federation data base and her cellular make up is in constant state of flux." The Doctor said grimly. "As far as I can tell she is not in any pain or felling any negative effects from her ….. Condition and for all we know this could be a completely natural part of the Ocampan life cycle. But whatever this is, it's sped up." He told her letting of a heavy shy.

"You can't have give up already Doctor our friend is... is" Janeway said trying to find the right word "ill she's just ill and we need to do jet her out of Borg space before…" she said trailing of unable to finish the thought.

The Doctor was at gashed that the Captain thought he had given up "Captain I…"

"Enough Doctor" Janeway snapped. She wasn't going to lose Kes, shed lost enough people on her watch as it was and she wasn't going to lose Kes. There was only one solution they need to get this ship moving and out of Borg space. Once they were safe they could devout their resources to treat Kes… there was only one way they could do that. They needed to get rid of the Borg implants that infested Voyagers system "Doctor I won't you to wake, Seven of Nine up, I would like to talk to her." Janeway asked.

"Captain I don't think that's a..." the Doctor said the saw the dark glance the Captain gave him and shock his head. "Very well… you be pleased to hear that I have already made a chemical counter muster to stop her from using her assimilation tubes." The Doctor said coolly pressing a hypo syringe into Seven on Nine's neck one containing the chemical counter muster the other one the drug need to easy her out of her sedation.

Nearly half an hour passed before Seven of Nine's fingers start to twitch. A weak grown escaped her as she slowly awoke. The Security offices readied their phases despite the fact the restraints that still hold her firmly to the bio bed, but none of them was were taking any chases.

Seven of Nine slowly opened her eyes getting used to fact that the human's and their hologram had at some point in their futile endeavour to alter her, had removed her organically optical implant and replaced it with another. She slowly tested the new optical implant, it was inferior to her original optical implant but at the very least it functional. She tried to move but found that she was restrained.

"Easy now, you're in Voyagers sick" the Doctor said pleasantly as Seven of Nine looked around the sick bay her blue eyes scanning everything.

Seven let out a small groin "Sickbay, We…I… know where we are hologram" Seven of Nine said slowly as she was still unused to commenting verbally.

The Doctor grinned nervously at the ill woman her only response was a slightly bemused but angry gare "right very good…." The Doctor said training of.

Seven tilled her head so she could examine the implants the hologram had removed but the primitive restraints prevented her from gaining a full summer of the damage the EMH had inflected on her. "What have you done do me…us?" Seven of Nine asked angrily as she saw exposed flesh on her shoulder and right arm. The limb was nearly devoid implants, save for a small binary plug that jutted from her bicep. She looked to her left arm which had been replaced by an a_rtificially limb when she was first assimilated. The original organic limb had not met the Collative standards. The holo gram had removed the outer armour casing and added flesh to the limb but had gone no further. _

_She _started trying violently to free herself from the restraints that held her but she could not free herself only seceding in having the restraints cut into her limbs.

"Please stop that your will hurt yourself!" the Doctor said socked as he raced over to try and stop her violent straggles.

"Pain is irreverent!" Seven yelled at the hologram as she continued to struggle unheeding of his commands .Without the influence of the others she found she was incapable of surprising the pain the blossomed in her.

He put a hand on her bare shoulder and she glared up at him with a stare that could melt metal "It's not and nether is injury" the Doctor stated angrily as he removed his hand for fear she would bight it in desperation. "If you calm down than I will release you, ok?" he said level out his voice. Then looking to the Captain for permission to go ahead and Janeway nodded.

Seven of Nine stopping her wild trashing. Not because the hologram had asked her but because the pain was becoming too much to bear. She had not felt this amount of pain for a long time and it started to stir at unwonted memories. One of such memory briefly filled her mind. Darkness surrounded drowning out all light expect for a vague greenish glow that hinted at something she couldn't quite recall all she recognised was the feeling of fear. The memory gave her no answers it only added confect that was the poison of individuality. She focused her mind to suppress the irrelevant memory it took her a great effort to do so. While she had been struggling with the memory the EMH had unbound each of the restraints and 'he' scanned the areas of flesh or implants were the restraints had held her looking for damage but found none.

Kathryn Janeway stepped forward drawing the drone woman's full addition to her. She could see the hate that swelled in the younger woman's eyes but she didn't hesitate "To answer your first question" Janeway said. "Your implants are killing you. I ordered the Doctor had to operate in order to save your life" Janeway told the young half Borg woman as Seven of Nine gaze tore away from the Doctor and looked down herself a look of utter disgust filling her scared face. "If you're going to be angry at someone then be angry at me"

"Angry is irrelevant" Seven of Nine responded quickly but the declaration felt hollow with in her own reasoning. She slowly sat up; she asserted the room and it occupants with the cold eyes of an indifferent predator. She saw the Security offices with their phases trained on her but she paid them little attention. Instead she focused her gaze on the amount of implants that had been removed. Her left leg was nearly devoid of implants explain two small interlock implants that looked like wheels on the outside of her calf and some armour around her knee and foot she could not see the skin of the limb as the hologram had wrapped the limb in derma plastic gores. Her right leg which was another _artificial_ limb was at least still mostly covered in armour expert were her ankle had meet her foot which how had no armour planting and partly exposed the sliver veins of metal that entangled that limb. She turned her gaze to her chest and abdomen. The amour plantings on the lower left side of her abdomen had been removed exposing wires and flesh but for the most part her torso armour had been left untouched by the holograms melding. The armour on her shoulders and neck however had all been removed and replaced by the same grey derma plastic wraps wrapped around the rest of her wounds.

She felt anger swell within her at have been violated in this manner and was about to rip a hand full of the derma plastic wrap from her right shoulder but the EMH sized her hand before she could remove the wraps.

"Those are derma plastic grafts are helping the regeneration process I wouldn't advise removing them" the Doctor told her sternly holding Seven's human hand still before she ripped it out his grasp.

She looked down at the damage again then looked to the Doctor. "Unacceptable!" Seven hissed. She trained her eyes on Captain Janeway and felt an over whelming need to punish the human is some way. She jumped of the bio bed faster than anyone could react but almost crumpled to the floor as her legs had been weakened but the remove of so many implants. She managed to grip the bio bed to stop the fall as she gasped in pain the holo gram offer his hand to help her up but she batted him away and shakily go to hear feet. Now she stood at her full height and stepped closer to the Captain. The hologram put himself between herself and Captain Janeway.

Seven noticed the security offices all had their phases trained on her, their unspoken warning was clear if she harmed their Captain in any way they would kill her. Under normal circumstance she would not have cared for her own survival, but an impulse in the back of her mind prevented her from removing this human from the galaxy. "You should have let us die" Seven said her anger flashing in her blue eyes and rage flushed her exploded scared skin.

"I couldn't do that" Janeway said not letting her self be intimidated by the sickly woman. Borg or not she wound not be intimidated on her ship.

"Your attempters to salvage this drone will fail its deactivation is inevitable despite your efforts. WE CAN NOT SURVINE WITH OUT THE COLLECTIVE" Seven yelled at Captain Janeway failing to stop the angry that grew with in her. She felt the flush of adrenaline course though her body making her heart beat unsatisfactory fast. She was unused to such a reaction. In times of need the Collative could activate or increase a drone's adrenaline production but that was unusually reserved for assault or tactical drones during prolonged combat or assimilation and as she was neither thus the felling as foreign.

"I hate to rain on your parade." the Doctor intoned drawing Seven of Nine's piercing gaze to him "but whit out your implants your human systems are free to thrive" the Doctor told her almost cheerfully.

"You lie hologram what could you possible know of our technology?" Seven asked him her eyes flashing dangerously at been interrupted.

The Doctor huffed "A great deal actually I did engineer the modified nano probes the Collative used in their little war" the Doctor told handing Seven of Nine a data pad which she took from him in her Borg hand "as you can see you're…"

"We are compliant competent in reading and understanding any medical diagnosis of this drone hologram." She stated angrily "We have assimilated medical knowledge from species far more advanced in the field then your _Federation_" Seven told him before looking down on to the pad. She rapidly paged though more than sixty five terabytes of information in under 40.2 seconds. Even after reviewing the information she could not believe what it told her. It must have been falsified a deception! It was the only answer that made sense but why would they deceive her in this manner? Why were they even keeping her active, surely the Federation would learn more upon her direction then some elaborate plan to what, convert her? These questions and more chased themselves around her mind.

Kathryn could see the confusion and confect in Seven of Nine eyes as she analysed the information in the data pad. This could be her chance to reach out an olive branch to the obviously frightened woman. "Well then, what's your own diagnosis Seven of Nine?" Janeway asked kindly.

She blinked suddenly unsure of what to say, so she decided to mealy state the facts that the data she had been given. "35% of Borg implants removed successfully, 30% human biologic systems have begun to be restored to pre assimilated state for stranded human biology with 45% of reaming system in stated of severe biologic, technology conflict. Estimated probability of patient's recovery 85% The patient….This drone will become stable once reaming implants occupies no more than 23% of body mass" Seven stated quietly, dropping the pad which clattered to the floor and taking a few steps back suddenly felling very weak. "Impossible your hologram has been programed to decisive me... US" she stated desperately "We must return the Collective to be restored" Seven said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Firstly I would prefer you not call me hologram I have a name you know" the Doctor said trailing of as Seven of Nine gave him a curios stare.

"If you have a desertion then inform me…us and we will call you that" Seven said coolly as she was puzzled by the strange hologram. _Her_ knowledge of Federation holograms informed her that their holograms were for the most part non sentient manly used as playthings and manual labour. However this one seemed to be different form the others of its kind.

"Ah well ok I don't actually have a name as such… It's long story" the Doctor said embarrass flushing across his face. "Must people call me Doctor..." he said trailing.

Utter confusion crossed Seven's face "Cleary your programing is deeply flawed" Seven of Nine stated staring blankly at him.

He was slightly offended by what the half drone has said and puffed out his chest "My programing is perfectly fine thank you" he told her sarcastically but she continued to stare blankly at him "And any way I haven't been lying to you. In fact I predict a full recovery without the need of the _Collective_" the Doctor said smugly and Seven of Nine's face completely drained of colour again but he didn't notice her reaction. "Although come to think of it, I would love to see some of that medial information that you…" he trailed as Captain Janeway gave him a look that meant 'you're not helping Doctor'. Which he did when he saw the confusion and loss on Seven of Nine's face's as panic set in her sky blue eyes that darted around the room as if looking for an escape route. "Well I'm shore I'm supposed to be doing something imported somewhere else" he muted before trailing of and turning around and walking off to the other end of sick bay.

Kathryn and shuck her head "I'm sorry about him, sometimes he gets to exited for his own good" Janeway said breathing a shy to then turn her face to look at Seven of Nine looked like she was trying to procure what was happing the best she could and failing at it. The young woman may have believed she was a drone in need of the Collative but that couldn't be further from the truth. If anything it looked like the young woman was having a panic attack. "Look I won't to help. I really do but you need to make me understand so I can help you" Janeway told the younger woman kindly.

Seven of Nine, took a moment to purge her mind of the confusion and fear that overwhelmed her moments a go. Regaining a level of calm she turned her gaze back to Captain Janeway "Do not try to engage us with your superficial attempters at sympathy they are irreverent. It is clear that you do not wish to understand us. Or you would not be doing this to ME!"

Kathryn opened her hands in a placating gesture "It's obvious that you're in pain and you're frightened. I won't to help you must believe that" Janeway told her kindly.

"You are _individuals_." Seven spates the word as if it was a cruse as she looked around the sickbay "You are small! You cannot begin to understand what it is to be Borg! What it is too wont to be BORG!" she screeched before regaling her composer. "Your attempts to dissuade us of our true nature are futile." She said threating "What every plan's your _Star fleet_ have for this drone will fail. We will not betray the Collective no matter how you _defile US_." Seven spat as she felt anger and resentment burn within her.

Kathryn could see the utter hate and fear in the other woman's eyes it saddened her to no degree to see a human in such denial. It was now past time to clear the air with the soon to be former drone. "You think I'm acting on Starfleet orders?" Janeway asked shaking her head sadly. When Seven of Nine didn't respond she continued "We haven't been in contact with Starfleet or the Federation for over three years and even if I had gotten orders form Starfleet to do this to you I wouldn't. I'm not doing this for them" Janeway said.

"They why are you, doing this to us? Do you not see the futilely in your actions we will not become what you are" Seven of Nine spate. "We would rather..."

"That's enough!" Janeway snapped rounded on Seven of Nine recoiled slightly at her outburst not one to miss an opportunity she pressed her advantage. "I've done all this because your _human_ even now your becoming your own unique person and I'm going to help you realize that wheatear you like it or not". Janeway told her passionately before taking a calming breath "but you're right I have no clue what it means to be Borg none of us do and hopefully we never will." She prosed to study Seven of Nine face to gain a understanding but found her expression unreadable. "But I might be able to imagine" she then started walking around Seven who remained as still as a statue. "You were a part of an impossibly vast consciousness. Billions of minds working together with a harmony and purpose of thought with only one single goal, there was no indecision! No doubts and no dissent. Only the security and strength of a unified will. Wear nothing else matters." Janeway said then she softer ends her voice and saw Seven of Nine looked lost with in her own memories. "And now you've lost that"

Seven walked slowly away from human woman to stand by the bio-bed which she griped with her Borg enhanced hand as her human hand started shaking. "This drone is small now weak, _One mind_." She said as agony filled her voice. "How do you bare it?" Seven asked looking to Captain Janeway even as she thought to herself 'I... we must not show weakness. We will not give them the satisfaction. We are Borg! But we are weak now and that is impossible to deny'. The fear and loneliness that had been seeping into her filled her almost to the breaking point. 'We will not jive in, we will not jive in.' she thought, breathing in a depth breath trying to calm herself regain some sense of the cold peace she had known all her life.

"We just do and if you give it time you be able to experience the life that the Borg have dined you" Janeway told her sympathy seeing how much pain Seven of Nine was in and thought she must be going through hell right now.

Seven rounded on the human "This silence is unacceptable." Seven told her hotly her eyes flashing as she swiped an empty medial tray on a table near the main bio bed to the floor. "We need the others. YOU MUST RETURN US TO THEM NOW." Seven yelled pleadingly as she hunched over momentary as pain bloomed from her lower back but she surprised the pain so not alert the hologram who was reading some files from one of the consoles in its office.

"I won't give you back to the Borg no matter how much you ask, or how much you threaten." Janeway told her firmly "But you're not as alone here either. You can be come apart of a human community, a human _Collective_. Yes we are individuals but we work and live together" Janeway told her walking closer to the sickly woman.

"You are flawed, chaotic and small. You detract from perfection and lack true unity" Seven stated angrily she could not believe the humans foolish or arrogance to believe that she could become one of them! How could this human possible compare flawed individuality to the perfect harmony the hive mind offered?

"We might not always get along. We may even fight at times and God knows were not perfect. But know of that means you can't have some of the unity you require right here and now on Voyager" Janeway offed kindly.

Seven slowly turned to face Captain Janeway returning to full height even as the pain in her back grew but she played it know mind instead staring the human in the eye. "Insufficient!" she said regaining her composer.

"It will have to do" Janeway told her narrowing her gaze "The fact of the matter is that this community needs you"

"You truly believe that we will aid you after all that you have done to us?" Seven asked slightly mystified "It seems the Collative have not underestimated human arrogance" Seven said coldly.

Kathryn crossed her hands over her chest "Oh that rich come from you. Remind me who was it that started this, you had your chance to return to your precious collative but instead you try to assimilate us and were did that lead you." Janeway snapped at Seven of Nine but the half Borg woman held her Tung just glaring at her with those hate filled eyes. "As it stands the Borg modification you made to our vessel are disrupting our systems. We need your help to remove them your _expertise_." Janeway said when Seven of Nine only continued to give her a death stare that would put a Klingon to same, so she tried and other tack. "You must _comply_" Janeway ordered forceful returning the glare as good as she got.

Seven of Nine, conceded her limited options. If she refused then it would be likely the Captain would contain her to sick bay and likely have the hologram would remove yet more of her implants. There was a possibility that she could repurpose the sick bay for her needs but it was likely her captives would have already found ways to sabotage her effects in this area. The truth of the matter was she had underestimated them once and it was unlike she would survive another attempted to assimilate this crew and at the very least if she complied she could get away from their idiotic hologram. "Very well, what would you have us do?"

Kathryn was pleased that Seven of Nine was at least willing to work with them if nothing else it was a step in the right direction. The drone woman had likely agreed in the hope that she could get the upper hand or escape but as the Doctor had neutralized the most dangerous part of her anatomy and under the careful watch of Lieutenant Ayala and his Security team any risk to the ship would be minimized. She only wised that Tuvok had not taking a sabbatical early today to help Kes to understand and use her new powers but she had to agree with Tuvok's logic that without the prober guidance Kes's new ability's posed a far greater threat at the moment, even if she agreed on perishable that didn't mean she had to like it. Besides Ayala was just as dictated and had a resolve harder than reinforced steel. In the three years she had Chakotay's former second in command he had never once let the Voyager team down. She wished she could say the same of Chakotay but she was still coming to terms with her wayward first officer.

'Maybe just maybe' janeway considered that she might just be getting through to the half drone woman and maybe if Seven of Nine interacted with the rest of the crew she may start her journey towards humanity. At the very least they could get this ship moving "Fallow me down to Engineering" Janeway ordered.

Engineering

Engineering was the very definition of organized chaos. Crewmembers from all over Voyager rushed around like anger worker bees completing whatever task they were set to before going on to the next. Trying their best to stay on Chief Engineer, B'Elanna Torres good side but that in of itself was not easy to do even on the best days and the last few days, had been anything but the best.

B'Elanna was nee deep in the circuitry of one of the consoles near the warp core. "Ok I think I finally I got the last of this dammed Borg baktag out of the plasma intake manifolds" yelled out while using her yellow star fleet jacket which was wrapped around her waist, as an oversized hanky. Wiping the sweet and grime from her forehead rigors she let out an irritated breath "let's try reinitializing the antimatter reaction again, Keep your fingers crossed that it works this time!" B'Elanna yelled over the consistent dim of engineering in the direction of Harry Kim who was standing near the warp core.

Harry scanning the reaction with his tricorder as everyone else in engineering stopped what they were doing and watched the warp core. The neon blue glow of the warp core's, matter and anit matter reaction increased as the reaction grew. A load hum started to permeate the whole of engineering. He crossed his fingers he looked around at the despite faces of those around him. Harry, know that same desperation filled his face. "Matter antimatter reaction 22 cochranes and rising" Harry sounding hopeful as he read of the readings his tricorder feed him. His hope proved premature as the lights slowed down to a crawl and the hum of the warp core died down to a low whisper. He felt the disappointment of his colleges and friends radiate though engineering.

Felling her Klingon blood sing out for violence she left the wall panel she had been working on and stepped closer to the warp core "By Fek'lhr's rotten balls not again" B'Elanna yelled throwing a hyper spanner at the warp core which bounced off and hit the ground "I will not let you bet me you hear me" B'Elanna yelled as her face turning red.

Harry wounded how close his half Klingon friend was to losing whatever shred of clam she had clung on to. It was a small miracle that she had kept her cool this long. Trying to think what he might be able to say to calm her down. "Well loo…."he said with a smile on his face.

B'Elanna turned to Harry her dark brown eyes flashing and her shape teeth bared "Harry if you say look on the bright side, one more time I swear to Kahless I will rip you bloody arm of and bet you wilt it" she threatened and as she had not threatened one of her closest friends with violent assault. "Well do you at least know what's wrong with it this time?" she asked almost as way of apology as she walked up to Harry to look at the reading tricorder had given him.

Harry never one to hold grudge didn't miss a bet "Intake manifold 11 and 13 are blocked again" he told her giving B'Elanna a wobbly smile to try and calm his friend down but trying to calm B'Elanna Torres down on a bad day was like trying to put out a raging volcano with a tea spoon. And today was a very bad day.

B'Elanna put her greasy prams to cover her face as she signed in exasperation. "But I just cleared those out, Ugg this is like pulling weeds just once you think you got them all, more turn up" B'Elanna said taken her hands away from her face when she noticed the sudden silence of her department. Noticing that even Harry was staring dumbfounded in the deration of the door she playful flicked his ear. "Well what the hell are looking at?" she asked "We got work..." she said trailing of. She final saw what had drown his attention. A group consisting of Captain Janeway, Lieutenant Ayala, crewman Ann Smithee and crewman Kurt Bendera had entered the main work space of engineering with that dammed drone, Seven of Nine in toe. Although the drone did look vastly defect from the last time she and seen _it_ but _it_ was still a drone in her eyes.

Seven glanced around the engineering before forcing on the half Klingon woman, Lieutenant Torres and a human male, Ensign Kim along with a number of others staring at her "You have neglected to remove the, autotomizes regeneration sequences." Seven stated plainly as if in introduction. She had seen the shocked expressions on the Voyager crew though out her journey from the sickbay down to engineering. One crewman a young Bajoran female by the designation of crewman Tal Celes walked in to a wall at the mere sight of her. Lieutenant Ayala had tried aided the undamaged Bajoran only for Crewman Celes to run the opposite direction the group. The reaction had puzzled her for a few moments before she dismissed it.

"Lieutenant Torres, Ensign Kim you remember Seven of Nine" Janeway said pointing to Seven of nine who stood as still as a statue beside her.

B'Elanna felt like someone had hit her in the face with a cold fish her mouth hanging open as she was tried to form words and say something meaningfully but failed to so. For perhaps the first time in her life she was speechless.

Harry saw his friend fall into a stupor 'well I never thought I'd see the day'. "How could we forget" Harry said nervously.

"Since it has only been fifty six hours since you last saw us it is unlike that your memory's would fail you" Seven stated bluntly then looked to Captain Janeway "Innless either Lieutenant Torres or Ensign Kim suffer from some form of short trem memory loss that we are not aware of?" Seven asked turn her pricing gaze back to the human Ensign and the half Klingon Lieutenant.

"Um... no that's just something people say you know a…metaphor" Harry strutted trying not to look at the drone woman's mettle readied body.

She was confused by the human's declaration "Explain?" Seven asked.

Kathryn shook her head as she thought 'dame if even metaphor is foreign to her than this is going to be a long day' not willing to indulge the former drone's _curiosity_ just yet as she needed Seven of Nine's attention on the matter at hand. "Ok people we can't delay these repairs any longer" Janeway said pointedly "So I have asked Seven of Nine to help remove the Borg modifications and she's willing to help" Janeway said which seemed to get a reaction from Seven of Nine but the former drone seemed to be willing to hold her Tung at least for the moment. "She only has a few hours before her next operation I suggest you put her to good use." Janeway told them having decided to keep Seven of Nine's involvement to a minimum until she could trust the former drone more. She believed whole heartily that Seven or Annika would relies her own humanity and be willing to become a part of the Voyager family but she was not born yesterday, trust had to be earned.

B'Elanna finally come out of her stupor and walked forward and handing a data pad to the drone "You can start with the plasma relays in Jefferies tubes…."

"Jefferies tubes 13 alpha, sections 12. We fully recall this vessels design specifics. You need not explain any of the systems whereabouts on this vessel to us" Seven stated interrupting B'Elanna.

Everyone with in ear shot grimaced knowing that B'Elanna hated few things more than to be interrupted. B'Elanna saw the reactions of her colleges but ignore them. Instead bringing herself up to her full height and almost with in sticking distanced of drone. She was not deterred by the drone's height advantage over her or _its_ icy gaze. She needed to remind this drone interloper who was in charge here. "Good. Can you also recall what they looked like before you turned it into a Borg _circus_?" B'Elanna asked in a cool but threating tone.

Seven of Nine briefly wondered what a _circus_ was and what it had to do with engineering systems. Also why the Lieutenant would describe Borg technology in such a manner as it was clear even with her limited understand of emotions informed her that Lieutenant Torres wised to be confrontational. Even so she searched for the term's meaning but finding no refractions in her collative memory she deemed it irrelevant for now. "Yes" she replied coolly.

With the atmosphere of engineering feeling like it had gone down ten degrees as the two woman estranged glares. Kathryn spoke up to break the mounting tension. "Ah well know the pleasantries are out of the way. I'll let you get to work?" Janeway stated pointy "I won't updates every hour" she ordered before turning to leave.

"Yes Captain" B'Elanna said as plight as she could and watch the Captain leave. Leaving her to deal with this upstart drone, she eyed the drone coolly and watched her be executed to the aforementioned Jefferies tubes by her guards. She Looked around Engineering and saw that very few of her colleges hadn't gotten back to work. "Well what are you all waiting for? This ship an't going to fix itself!" she yelled. The engineering staff though nervous at the new addition to their ranks quickly went go back to work as none of them wised to incur either the Captain's or B'Elanna Torres, ire. The crew exchanged dark muting's and daring glances but went about putting Voyager back together.

Seven of Nine had quickly completed her task and over the next few hours since she been assigned to engineering. Lieutenant Torres had begrudgingly given her more to do. It became clear that Lieutenant Torres was keeping her away from any of the vitally systems. Not that she had any inclination to sabotage Voyager which even with her carnet limitations would be a simple task to accomplice. She resized if she was to act it would not granite her a chance to contact the Collative as the star fleet offices would have predicted such an act and found means to counter her actions leaving her very few options.

So for the moment she merely did as she was asked and had made no comment innless asked a directed question nor did she try to engage in the pointless conversions that these _individual's _seemed toengaged in. Ensign Harry Kim was even more predisposed to this _affliction_ than any other of the individuals she yet counted. It was quite irritating but he was also one of the few willing to work alongside her.

She allowed his _small talk_ as he called it to wash over her like background noise which to her surprise soon came as a welcome relief when the pain had started. She had first noted it in sick bay but she was able to suppress the sensation. Now though it had grown into agony.

She and Ensign Kim were working on repairing one of the computers that had been damaged by Species 8472 weaponry. When agony unlike any she hat felt before started to radiate though out her body. She tried to suppress it but as her mettle capabilities were so depleted that the agony was fast becoming unbearable. Not only distracting her from her work but any attempts to find a way to contact the Collative. She decided to attempt to distract herself from pain by engage in this small talk activity. "Ensign Kim" Seven said trying to disguise her pain as she felt the mussels in her lower back scream.

Harry jumped slightly when she spoke in the few hours since she had been working in engineering she had barely said too words to anyone. "Yes, _Seven of Nine_ what do you need?" Harry asked nervously looking up from his work at the computer consul they were putting back to gather after they finished rewiring it.

"_We_ request information from you" Seven stated plainly able to distracter herself from the pain by concentration on her work and this otherwise irrelevant request.

"Ok…..what's your question?" Harry asked somewhat unsure what she wanted to know or whether he would be able to answer it. Maybe it would be some kind of profound defalcations or she might have decided that the Voyager crew and humanity wasn't so bad.

"When I was… we were… first ordered to aid Voyager's this crew in removing the Borg improvements. Lieutenant Torres asked _us_ whether….. I remembered Voyager's engineering schematics before comparing Borg improvements to a _circus_" Seven said at length hesitating. She was not used to communicating out loud.

'Well that was unexpected' he thought a little dumbly "Yes, and?" Harry asked still unsure of her intensions or her line of thought.

"_We_ do not understate the term _circus_. We have no reference for its meaning?" Seven asked stumbling as the pain finally started to subside. She had to resist gave into the pain as the humans would send her back to the sick bay for more surgery's and she wanted to evade that fate as long possible. Ensign Kim made a strange chucking noise in response to her statement. She did not know how to react to the odd noise. Perhaps the Ensign was injured is some fashion and she was surprised. That she was concerned. Her mind must be truly descending into imperfection. Time was running out and fear griped her but she claim herself given in now would mean she would lose everything.

Harry stopped his little laugh as he saw that Seven of Nine's face was etched with confusion and concern. "Oh... you're not joking are you?" Harry asked as he looked at her uncomprehending scared face.

"Joking?" Seven asked at length staring blankly at him.

"You know um having a laugh telling a joke" he said but there was no reaction in her face at either word other than pained confusion. Harry swallowed a lump "Don't you remember have fun before you know…. Mm…. you were assimilated?" Harry splatted nervously

"Fun is irreverent… I have no memory of it." Seven of Nine stated and saw the colour drain from Ensign Kim's face. He must be suffering from some form an illness although she recalled many individual's having a similar reaction before they themselves were assimilated. She was stuck by irrelevant thoughts that now seemed the perfected her mind as they became too difficult to ignore. "You have not issued your response to my original inquiry" she said sharply trying desperately to refocus her mind "Respond Ensign Kim." She commanded drawing the attention of one her guards.

Ayala head the drone woman's Sharpe tone and stepped closer to Harry and the Borg woman "You alright Harry?" Lieutenant Ayala asked his dark face creasing as he laid a resting hand on the phaser pistol on his hip.

"Everything's fine Ayala we just having a little chat" Harry told Ayala as confidently as he could. He tried to give his former Maquis co-worker a reassuring look. Ayala looked at him as if to say _'are you shore about that'_ jiving Seven of Nine a hard look of warring but if the sickly drone woman understood the unspoken hostility she gave know no sign only returning Ayala's dark stare with her ever unwavering gaze. Ayala seemed content for a moment of silent staring then walked back to where he could continue his vigilance watch.

Harry took a breath and looked back to Seven seemed to cringe for a moment. "Sorry about that….. Hay are you all right? You don't look well?"

"We are operational… Compete your statement" Seven told him keeping her voice level.

"Yar ok what B'Elanna said was…" he said still splatting. While scatting his for head absently "Mm she kind of insulted your Borg tech" Harry told her readying himself for some kind of angry outburst from her but was surprised when she merely cocked her head slightly as if processing the information.

"Why would she insult Borg technology it is superior to your Federation technology?" she sated dismissively. "Perhaps if you explain what a _circus _is?" Seven asked.

Harry was a little of put by what she just said but pushed pasted it. "_Ok_…. right well you see him back on Earth and a few other planets back home, there are these circuses. They go around the counties showing of trained animals or human performances or both to people you know for …fun" Harry said.

Seven was silence as she tried to understand the concept that Ensign Kim was alluding to. "These _circuses'_ purpose is to _amuse_ an area's population?" she said bemused by the very idea "And you find these performances fun correct?"

"Yar I so pose" Harry answered nonchalantly not wishing to upset the clear unnerved half Borg woman. He felt a great swell of sadness bight into his heart as it was clear she had no idea what he was talking about.

"If a _circus's_ purpose is to _amuse_ then you statement is self-contradictory. If Lieutenant Torres finds our improvements _amusing_ then why did you state she was attempting to insult our Technology?" Seven asked a little more confidently as the pain in her back eased for a moment. "Explain"

Understanding dawned on him as she clarified "See circus's often make a lot of mess were their camped." Harry sputtered "B'Elanna was saying that your Borg technology made a mess of our systems" Harry said nervously wishing more than anything to find a way out of this conversation.

It was clear to her that Ensign Kim though was trying enlighten her but he was incapable of completing that task. She deemed the inquiry a failure and irrelevant as she should of done moments ago. However it had served its purpose of distancing her mind away from the pain in her body. "Your assistance in this matter is" Seven's mind went blank for a moment trying to think of an appropriate word. "Appreciated"

"Shore any time" Harry said with a slight smile "Seven of Nine if you what to say you appreciated someone's assistance you can just say thank you" he told her almost as an afterthought.

Seven cocked her head as a hint of a memory snuck into her mind.

A memory of a small a child siting excitedly on the floor of a room 'Was she this child?' she could not be certain she tried to fight the memory but her efforts only seemed to encouraged. A woman was their setting before the child her knees bent under her something hidden behind her back. The woman had bright green eyes and blonde hair she was smiling happily at 'her', she was hiding something behind her back.

"_**Come on Annika close your eye and no pecking**_" the woman said her was an echo but that didn't diminish love that the voice held. That voice she remembered it a word filled her mind 'Mouther' this woman was her mouther she recoiled at the thought.

"_**Ok mama**_" her memory self said sweetly and closed her eyes.

"_**There you go what supposed to say?"**_ her mouther said having handing her a large clothe doll with bright red hair and long legs a vague half thought told her that the toy had been damaged in some way. "_**You fixed pepi! Thank you mama"**_ Then memories faded into mist leaven confusion and fear behind but something else a new emotion one she could not identity. 'No…no…..NO, this is irrelevant'' she told herself forcefully.

Harry saw the confusion, fear and grief flow over her face. "Seven are you ok?" he asked softly so not spook her.

She near jumbled at the ensigns soft voice "I am…functional… your concern is unwarranted" she told him sharply and he shuck back himself "_Thank you_ Ensign Kim" Seven said unsure stumbling over the words as she tried to purge the irrelevant memory from her mind.

"You're welcome" Harry told her with a sheepish grin. Only then did he notice that the console they had been working was completely back to gather after they had sent about half an hour pulling apart.

"This task is complete designate the next one" Seven told him after seen his questioning look.

"You couldn't of fix that already it hasn't worked right in weeks" Harry told her somewhat shocked the console they were working had blown out when they were first attacked by Species 8472. B'Elanna had in fact been on the verge of ripping out her hair trying to fix it or so he had been told. He was still somewhat hazy on some details of what had happed after that alien attacked him on the ruined cube haven spent a week in the Doctor's care been bombarded by his singing.

"If you doubt my . . . our work then inspect it yourself" Seven said coolly wounding why the human seemed to doubt her effectiveness or why it seemed too steered at more unwonted feelings.

Harry walked over to the computer console they had been working on and dialled in some commands. Not only had she fixed while they were talking but it was working better than ever it was not only faster than before but had more functions. "Wow how did you improve the processing speed" Harry asked impressed.

"I merely repaired the bio-processor chip this increasing the amount of data this console can process. This was achieved by using the current Federation s Niv'I 47 operation system which is standard technology for a vessel of this class." Seven told him wounding why he cared. "Borg technology remains far more advanced but it would have counterproductive to install feather upgrades when we were assigned to remove the others" she said indefinitely.

He nodded dumbly only half listening "Looks like Star fleet had made some upgrades since. We've been gone how'd you got this" Harry said whit out thinking about what he had just said. The coin dropped hard and fast as he turned away from the computer to face Seven of Nine who looked at him blankly.

"We assimilated this technology in our latest attempted assimilate Earth and the Federation" Seven told him and saw all, the colour drained from his face.

All conscience thought just drained from his mind along with most of the blood from his face "And did you" he splatted thinking suddenly of his parents and friends back home "….. Assimilate it?" Harry asked very quiet giving her a hard look. Feeling a volatile mix of both anger and dread entering his heart and boil his blood.

Seven noticing Ensign Kim change in tone and stance "Earth and the Federation remain un assimilated"

"O thank god!" Harry exclaimed as relive overcame him in a wave.

Bemused by the human's odd reaction she spoke up "Direct us to our next task" Seven stated again as another spasm raced up her spine. Clearly the irreverent conversations would no longer placate the agony burning though her body. She would have to find a way to contact the Collective before the pain became too much to bear and she would be forced back to sick bay.

"Mouther of baktag, Hu'tegh this Borg baktag can go to Gre'thor and get Qovpatlh rotten by Fek'lhr" B'Elanna voice rang out suddenly.

"Sounds like B'Elanna needs a hand" Harry said and he walked to be his friend who was nee deep in wires and circuits of a wall panel with Seven of Nine and her guards not far behind.

**Tuvok's quarters**

Tuvok's quarters were bathed in low of star light which gave the Vulcan's room an almost other worldly glow. Tuvok quarters were Spartan to the point that most would assume them empty. The quarters were clean and tidy and the only adornments that gave evidence that these and belonged to Tuvok was his collection of rare plants including his prized Vulcan Lilly's. For hours now Tuvok and Kes had sat on the floor of his quarters facing each other a small table with a Vulcan mediation lamp between them. In which time they had run thought all manner of mentions, charts and mettle excises.

Kes had felt more at ease in the near silent presence of her friend and teacher Tuvok, then she had in weeks or perhaps even mouths. When she told him about all her different visions and emitted feeling that she was changing. She even shameful emitted that she felt like she no longer belonged on Voyager. She was glade of Tuvok understanding and support even as she sensed a glimmer of sadness with in him. He had always reminded her of her late farther Darx who had passed on before she met Neelix. Her mother Ammlia passed on a few years early having fallen ill. She missed them terribly as she did all her friends on Ocampa they had begged her to stay in the city. She had defied them all because for as long as she could remember she wanted to explore. It was almost an addiction to her. She didn't just what to explore she need to, it was like how the body needs air to breathe and water to drink not just in the physical sense but also beyond that.

She recalled spending hours of her child hood going over ever fact and figure in the great libraries the city held. When she had joined Voyager she had going over every little thing in the federation data base but still it was never enough to satisfy her curiosity then she had started training with Tuvok and for a time she had been able to satisfy her need to learn her need to explore. Only for a time she had found her place on Voyager, then she had the vision. A possibly future version of herself dyeing of old age, the Doctor desperate to give her a little more time had accidentally sent her mind backwards though time and space. She had seen her other life she had been happy, loved, admired. She had a beautiful family the life she thought she wonted. But it was wrong that reality had come at too high a cost too many good people, too many of her friends had met an untimely end. She had stopped that realty from been born she gave up her foolish dreams and in doing so the hunger, that itch in the back of her head had come back and she could not shake it. Now though finally the itch was being to be satisfied and more as she expanded her awareness, she resized she had been given a gift now all she had to do was peel the wrapping and take it for her own.

Tuvok had mulled over all Kes had explained to him though a part of him was troubled by her visions and the new level of power she had already show. Another part of him knew if she tried to hide from this change then she would regret it, they all may. An image of the crazed future Kes filled his mind for a moment. He had noticed that Kes become more aloof in the last few months if this was path she had to walk then, he as her friend and teacher it was is duty to assist her. That didn't stop the feeling of loss that fill him. He had treated her like one of his own children in order to cope with the separation of his beloved family.

He resized he had been wrong to do so but even he felt lonely at times and the logic that all Vulcans clung to seemed hollow when he like most of crew were so very far from home and heart. "You have gained predictive on all that has happed. Now you must learn how to control of your new ability's less they control you. For this purpose we will use my mediation lamp." Tuvok told her. They both opened their eyes from mediation and turned their attended to the small fame that flicked form the lamb.

"The flame and the lamp, Fire represents power and knowledge, death and rebirth. Tell me Kes are you familiar with the Earth legend of the Phoenix?" he asked but Kes only shock her head. "In many ancient human legends there was a creature called the phoenix a bird made out of fire in these legends the creature was both a teacher and a destroyer and often in the end of these leagues at the end of its life it would turn to ash and be reborn once again. Thus fire tamed is appropriate tool to use to hone your ability's as like the phoenix the power inside you is both gift and a burden"

She nodded in understanding "How do we begin?" Kes asked in anticipation looking from the small flicking flame to Tuvok.

"You will attempt to manipulate the flame. Concentrate only on the fame. leave this room behind. Leave Voyager behind. There are only you and the flame" Tuvok told her as he saw her light purple eyes close and a look of concentration filled her face. "You must see past the surface past the light to the patens of energy and matter and see what lies beneath" Tuvok told her.

Kes's mind's eye opened and she could then see the atoms that made up the atomic makeup of fire. She could see how the atoms reacted with each other. It was like a cosmic dance. She knew this fire as well as she knew herself. Kes felt the power hidden in the atomic and reached inside the fame. They were as familiar as the faces of her friends and all the people she'd ever cared about they refocused becoming exteriors of her will. "I can see the essence of the fire as if it was my own" Kes stated not opening her eyes.

"Good Kes, now you must reach out whit you mind intensifies the flame" Tuvok told her.

Kes looked into the fire again and saw the atoms dance. She reached out with her mind like she done in sick bay but only used a tiny amount of energy this time. The atoms reacted instantly their danced became fevered, hundreds of thousands. The reaction between them made fire in lamb grow from the size of a pinkie into a foot tall flame. "Look I'm making it stronger" Kes stated pleased whit herself.

"Kes you must maintain focus." He chastised but he had to keep her from abusing her power. He had already witnessed Kes dark side that was he told her about the Phoenix. "Now with your thoughts return the flame to its normal size" Tuvok said. And the fames shrunk.

"Kes you have done extremely well. You have never demisted this level of power or control before. I however must warn you do not take your power for, granted lest you let it corrupt you. Many good and noble people and races have been drawn into ruin buy not respecting the power" Tuvok told her sincerely.

"I would never use my power to hurt or control people" Kes said opening her eyes once light purple now however they were growing with light.

"You may believe so Kes and I believe that as well. However all people no matter from what walks of life they hail from have potential for good or ill." Tuvok said and saw Kes look down at the flame again almost like it was a mirror.

Kes looked into the flames this time however it was defiant, she was defiant. She could see something that she only glimpsed before hidden with her visions. Now all she needed to do was look deeper in order to see it. She saw past the atoms, past the fog of this reality she saw something else. It was like a flower of light. Within it there, was no cause and effect, no light or dark or time and space or even self. She gazed into a realm like a vast spider's web with infinite possibilities and felt its echo within herself. It was beautiful no that was an understatement it went beyond words could not be disrupted it. This was what she had been looking for all her life. This was her home not a dead world, broken by the whims of a false god. Neither was some ship lost far from home. This place that was know place was home.

"What's wrong? Tuvok asked seen first Kes dream like expression the light around her eye intensified. Her whole body started to glow with the same strange light.

Broken from her rapture she shook her head "I'm see something beyond the subatomic level" Kes said blissfully as the image burned into her very bean as if it called to her. "I see it… it's…..beyond beautiful….its home and more" Kes said wistfully her words turning into a distant echo.

"Perhaps we should stop for now. You must aloe yourself some rest. You progressed further than I imagined" Tuvok suggested calmly despite warring bells ringing form his hidden self.

"Wait a few section's I'll wont to try and control it." Kes said and the lamp stated to lose it shape then a light the came from it and it began to float in mid-air losing its form even more wood metal and fire melded into a simmering changing mass of matter. Tuvok raised both his slim eyebrows. "Don't worry Tuvok I can control it now" Kes said her voice still sounded strange as if coming from far away. The lamp then changed its form again the wood metal and fire separating and returning to their normal states then the lamp lowed on to the table as if nothing had happened. She beamed a smile at him as her body started to become transparent.

**Engineering**

B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Vorik were both nee deep in a wall panel as they tried to remove the Borg technology inside. "This dammed baktag… why won't these things come out?" B'Elanna yelled as she tried to remove the black wires that had a strangle hold on the power circuits. "Ouch" B'Elanna exclaimed as on tube set out a green false of energy into her hand "son of a..." she swore snacking her hand away from the black tubes and wires.

"This technology seems to have inbuilt counter musses" Ensign Vorik said observantly as he scanned the strange parasitic technology with his tricorder.

"Oh really you don't say" B'Elanna sarcastically told the skinny pail faced Vulcan as she put her burned fingers in her mouth to dull the pain.

"Perhaps Seven of Nine can be of assistance hear, all of our attempts to remove the Borg systems without assistance have been unsuccessful" Vorik suggested closing his tricorder. He had found no way to disengage the Borg technology and with Lieutenant Torres exulting sore mood he knew it was only matter of time before the ovular aggressive half Klingon wound explode at someone. There was no doubt that she wound vent her fury on him. As he had become her favourite target among the hole the engineering staff ever since his unfortunate pon far incident almost five months ago and whit the Klingons holiday 'the day of honor' fast approaching it wound be must logical to be in her good graces to when it arrived or face her wrath but they also needed to repair the ship and he was willing to risk the Lieutenant's fury for the greater good.

"Don't you blood start Vorik. It's bad enough that the Captain kept that dammed _drone_ alive… then to top it off she brings that _thing_ down here to throw a monkey wrench into my engineering department and now you saying we need _it's_ help. I will not be defeated buy some over Borg junk or some half drone thing" B'Elanna hissed and rammed her hand around some of the black wires and pulled with all her might. They did not budge and only flashed green again and gave her hand a painfully shock. She let out a little yelp as her thick tanned skin tingled with a painfully heat. She half saw a shadow stand over her. "And she's right behind me isn't she?" she asked Vorik who only nodded. 'Great' she thought silently turning to meet the drone's confused gaze.

"Why would an unevolved primate need and tool designed for maintenance or be assigned to this engineering department" Seven of Nine intoned plainly.

B'Elanna saw that Harry and the security guards barley able to contain their laughter and shot them warning look of 'don't you dare'. "Well then how would you stop these junk from zapping me _drone_?" B'Elanna asked accusing but the drone woman had no reaction to her abusive words.

"Simply dial in this falling sequence into the main acumen-matrix dispenser" Seven of Nine informed her as she handed Lieutenant Torres a data pad.

"A what dispenser? Does it look like I can speak Borg gibberish?" B'Elanna snatching the pad from the drone out stretched hand reading from it. Fortunately she had learned a little of the Borg number langrage over last few weeks.

"That circulatory construct in the centre of this system" Seven said as she pointed to a small black box like with a display screen built in to it with green Borg numbers running down its surface in the middle of the of the mess of wires and tubes which neither B'Elanna or Vorik had, noticed before she had pointed it out.

"How the hell do you work something so small?" B'Elanna asked crossly as she reached in a hand a dialled the numbers the _drone_ had given her using nothing more than a finger for the task.

"These systems are largely automation and not require regular matinée. However when they are in need of repair there are lager controls used for the task but since this vessel was not fully assimilated. Thus those systems were not installed" Seven of Nine told Lieutenant Torres indifferently. Lieutenant Torres grunted something under her breath that even her enhanced hearing could not make out then finished typing in the numbers into the small computer pad. There was a brief false of green energy over the black wires and tubes.

The wires seemed it detach them self's from all the other technology and drop away. Like parasitical vines falling from a tree now there were only the large thick tubes which had the habit of re-growing every time they tried to remove them. "What about these about these linkages?" B'Elanna asked "Every time I pull one out they come right back" B'Elanna told the drone not liking to be shown up at her own job by sum stuck up drone.

"These are the autonomous regeneration sequencers we informed you of when we were first assigned here. Their main function is to counteract resistance" Seven said politely.

"Well why you don't tell me how to remove the dammed things and stop wasting time" B'Elanna said with a low growl.

"Amazing how did you came up whit this duplication design?" Harry asked leaning down to look in between B'Elanna and Vorik.

"We did not design this technology. We assimilated it in galactic caster three from Species 259" Seven informed them trying to cover up a wince of the pain that spiked a new.

"I'm not interested in any of that. How do I disable it?" B'Elanna asked hotly.

"You must disconnect each sequc…encer conduit at the inc….ursion junxure" Seven said stuttering as she swayed a little she reached out a hand held on to a nearby wall for support before regained her normal standing composer.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked looked back at her he could see pain radiate on her face bore fore it slipped back into in impassive mode.

"I am….we are functioning with in normal promoters" Seven said her voice wavering but this time Ensign didn't seemed to believe her.

"If you're in pain we take you back to sick bay" Harry told her kindly.

"NO!" Seven said sharply "I do not require the use of the sickbay" Seven said angrily but there was something less beyond the anger in her words. As more burning pain reradiate from her lower back. 'Pain is irrelevant, pain is irrelevant' she told to herself. It didn't stop her from feeling felt very weak, small and afraid. No matter how many times she tried to enforce her will over the pain it came back stronger than before.

"Harry take put her to work in Jefferies tubes 16A. Start whit the plasma relays while I clean up this mess" B'Elanna told them eyeing the sickly drone weary.

Harry and Seven of Nine and one of her guards, crewman Kurt Bendera walked into the Jefferies tube. "Are you shore you're all right Seven of Nine?" Harry asked keeping his voice calm and reassuring even kindly as he looked at her scared face her skin what he could see of it looked even more pail then before if that was possible.

"We have already stated that….. I am working at optional levels Ensign Kim, your _human_ pity is miss placed, I am Borg" Seven told him biting down on the anger surging though her at been seen as unfit for duty. If she did not perform her duty they would send her back to that holographic simpleton. Nor could see likely contact the Collative from the sickbay hear however she may have a chance to do so before the pain and confusion grew to great.

"Just because you're, were assimilated doesn't mean I shouldn't be worry about you and it's not so bad been human. If you give us a shot and you might be surprised" Harry told her kindly.

"From your perception perhaps not from ours, individuals are _limited_" Seven said pushing the pain down again but her methods of control were rapidly failing her.

"It not all that bad really…. If you wont to continue working that's fine." Harry said as they walking over to a nearby plasma relay over run whit Borg technology "I'll start over hear"

After a few moments of removing the vainly like tubes that crept up the wall Harry eyed the tall drone woman "So you said that the Borg got this stuff came from Species 259. Who were they?" Harry asked looking over at her bandaged and metal incased body he tried to surprising a shudder. She reminded him of the creatures from movies like Frankenstein or maybe terminator or any number, of horror movies were the antagonists were some form of cyborg monster from the movies the crew sometime watched on movie night.

"You would not know them" Seven said not looking at him as she effortlessly pulled away a panel from the wall and started discounting long black tubes that penetrated the malty colored wires and circuits inside the wall.

"I guess the Borg meat a lot of people….." Harry said. He resided how stupid that sounded. Seven's mettle eyebrow twitched upward as she looked at him as if to conform, his stupidity. He shook his head "So what is it like out there in galactic cluster three….. _Nice_?" Harry asked trying to get her talk again.

"Beyond your comprehension" Seven said sharply she won't to merely consent on the work rather than these pointless conversing as more pain eat at her will power. Even know the work as flawed as it was. It was only thing keeping her from buckling over in pain. The burning sensation in her back was now cursing such un-manageable agony it was all she could do to stay on her feet.

"I don't know I have seen some things hear on Voyager. Let's see… I came back from the dead and had an exact copy of myself and had a planet full of woman who tried to eat me…..so try and bet that" Harry told her crossing his arms she merely regarded him out the corner of her eye.

She rolled her eyes "Galactic cluster three is a trans-material energy plain intersecting twenty-two billion Omni cordial life forms" Seven said sharply as her body final betrayed her and she lost sensation in her legs. For the first time in her life she felt a pain so intense it went beyond physical or mettle pain. It was a pain of self as if every part of her was in agony no not agony, not pain no beyond that what she felt was simple, pure and infinity. She screamed as her body crumpled to the floor.

**Tuvok's quarters **

"It's obvious that your mental abilities have progressed beyond this particular Vulcan….." Tuvok's said then noting an odd look which cross Kes's face as if her mind was on outer thing or concerned about something "Kes is there something bothering you?" He asked.

"It's that Borg…. she's going to attacked Harry" Kes said her eyes glowing weight hot and the few object in his room started picking them self-up and floating in mid-air.

"Kes are you certain?" Tuvok asked the red alert started blaring "I must go" Tuvok told her getting up quickly from his siting passion on the floor.

"Wait" Kes said "I'll stop her"

**Engineering**

Harry winched as Seven of Nine screamed and she fell to the floor "Wow woo you're not doing any more today. We need to get you to sickbay" Harry told her. Kurt Bendera came running to help.

She tried to get up and not give into the rage but for a moment the rage give her the strength she needed to push back the pain. She slow rose from the floor but even with the power hate she struggled to rise.

"It's ok. We'll help you up" Harry said as he and the Kurt Bendera reach out to help her up.

"NO! I WILL NOT COM_MARRRGE_" Seven screamed at the very top of her voice. Her words becoming garbled nonsense as she foamed at the mouth like a rabble dog. As she the stood up to her full height and hit both Harry Kim and Kurt Bendera hard. Her rage lent her strength to push past all the confusion and pain for a moment the world grayed around her and concuss thought fell away.

She went for Crewman Bendera who was the lager of the two men. She went for his nee first used her more armed leg the make him stumble then using her banged leg to ram his genitals than hit him with an almighty punch to the gut. He doubled over but not before she delivered two more punches to his chest creaking at least three of his rips. Lashing out with her Borg enhanced arm she griped his left arm and twisted until she heard the bone snapped. Crewman Bendera crumpled to the floor gasping like a fish out of water then blacked out.

She turned on Ensign Harry Kim had enough time to sound a red alert and was reaching for his phaser at his side. He managed to pull it from his belt. Griping the hand he held the phaser in and basing adjust a nearby wall. Again and again until he let go and cried out in pain at let go of the weapon. She was deaf to his pleas as she crushed the phaser in enhanced hand like it was a tin can. With her other hand she slapped Harry across the Jeffery's tube and he smashed into opposite wall.

Harry tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. He cradled his now broken right hand with his left. He looked up at the half drone woman who stalked closer to him looking like the avatar of death itself. 'This is how I die be ripped apart buy an insane drone'.

Seven of Nine, reached down grabbed ensign Kim by the neck with her human hand effortless lifting him off the ground. While using her enhanced Borg hand, she tipped a Borg code into the computer and the door to the Jeffers tube closed and locked a Borg shield appeared around it sealing them off form her guards and the rest of engineering crew.

Harry's world had become very simple place as he shrugged to breathe and try pitiful break Seven's iron grip. All he could do was look into Seven's sky blue cold eyes. Her right eye had tears streaming but from her left eye the one with the sliver metal eye brow reflected cold merciless anger. There was something, something more reflected in her cold eye. What he couldn't say. He tried to struggle out of her grasp but her grip on his neck was like a vice. "Please…pleasss Seven of nnnien… you have don't do this" Harry choking on the words as he gasped for breath. Weee…. cannn help….you" he crooked as everything started falling way from and his vision clouded all he could do was stare into those sky blue eye could see the pain in her face she had stopped screaming her mouth stopped foaming and she just looked into him almost like a child abandoned by her parents, lost and afraid.

Everything had seemed to go dark for a few moments the pain, anger and hate had blinded her. She was standing there, whit her hand griping Ensign Kim's neck holding him above her like he waded nothing. 'It would be so simple to end his life' a part of her thought.

A simple twist of her hand and it would be over his life snuffed out but the impulse felt hollow as she could feel the anger ebb from her. The moment seemed to stench on for seemed an eternity. Time fell away there was only her and Ensign Kim. She expected to feel nothing, else but the pain and loss but her rage for the time been was gone. Something else, something new entered her mind something she shared with Ensign Kim but what?

What was this new feeling that chipped away at her mind, she couldn't quite identify it. She looked into Harry Kim terrified eyes and could see herself reflected in them as if looking for the answer. She could fell his wizzes of breath on her exposed scared skin she could even fell his heartbeat. Was this individuality?

It was so tiny, so small, afraid and broken.

She was tiny now, she was small now, she was afraid and now she was broken and could not be fixed. As small and afraid as she now as angry as she was she could find a resin to end his life. She opened her hand and Ensign Kim dropped to the ground with a thump. She swayed on her feet as if battling a gal force wind. Confusion filled her mind and a question rang with in her filled her Intel she could not take it any more "Why, Why, WHY". She screamed but revised no answers.

Harry sucking in great lungful's of air as his senses slowly came back to him. He almost wished they hadn't as the feeling of his the broken bones in his hand bloomed in his mind he tried to work through the pain radiating with in him. While he come back to himself.

Seven of Nine was screaming as if her mind a finally broken then she silent, her back strait and head heled high even as she more wobbled then walked on bandaged legs over to a computer console hooked on to the wall. She rapidly started to type in Borg code into the computer.

Harry had to fight to keep awake as his vision blurred if he black out he left his crew's fate was in the hands of a Borg drone they had ripped from the Collative and seemed to be in the middle of a psychotic back down. The odds as ever were not in Voyagers favour.

His barley managed to work through his pain a clawed over to the checked on Kurt Bendera who was lying on the floor of the Jeffery's tube. He checked the other man's pulse Kurt was alive but out cold but if he was any judge Kurt was in bad shape. He herd, Seven of Nine mutter to herself but what she was saying he couldn't make it out. Then his attention was drawn to the computer screen which fuelled with the Borg symbols.

His vison swam as he tried to make of lines of green text. He know by instinct what she was trying to do she was trying to call for help. He couldn't blame her for it despite the cold fear that griped his heart but he had to stop her. He struggled to keep himself awake as his body screamed for him to give him to the blackness that swam in his vision. His working right hand unhooked the phaser pistol still strapped to Kurt Bendera belt.

He pointed it slowly at Seven's back with he only know did he relished it was bleeding badly it looked like some of the implants along her spine had started to fall taking pieces chunks of skin with them. 'How the hell was she even standing let alone calling the Borg?' he thought, managing to dial the phaser to stun. Then the wall and computer nearest to Seven of Nine seemed to shimmer and buckle the mat grey of the wall turning blue. 'Great now I'm seeing things' he thought dumbly however Seven looked up from her work a look of shock flashed across her unnatural pail face. The wall warped and let out a bolt of blue lighting that hit her squares in the chest and she slammed into the opposite wall, he fell into darkness just as he herd the door to the Jefferies tube hiss open.

**Tuvok's quarters**

The red alert had blared for a few moments before it finally died "It's done, were safe" Kes said her voice had become a mix of a quite echo and thunder. She started to flicker like a flame caught in a wind as her body lifted off the ground. The small table and lamb and other furniture around Tuvok quarters started to join her in floating in mid-air many of them lost their shape also.

Tuvok was shocked and at the sheer power that radiated from his friend "Kes" Tuvok said coming close to her alluding his voice and posturer to become concerned. "Fright this it is not yet your time" he said holding both her slander shoulders whish was easy are said then then as his hands moved thought her as if she was made of nothing more substantially than mist "You must focus your mind on the here and now. Listen to my voice, fallow it back" Tuvok concern filling his deep but quite voice.

Kes stopped flicking and slowly opened her eyes they were their normal shade of light purple. "Tuvok" Kes said unsure as she blinked rapidly.

"I am hear" Tuvok he said genital and caught her as she dropped slowly through the air.

"I saw…" Kes said in a tiny voice. As her eyes fluted open and closed.

"What did you see?" Tuvok asked.

"Everything" Kes said she and fell asleep in his arms. He pressing, his com badge, "Tuvok to the Doctor".

"Yes Mr. Tuvok what is it I assume this something to do with that red alert?" the Doctor asked. "Yes….Doctor I'm bringing Kes into sick bay she has had an outer telegenic event and has passed out" Tuvok informed the Doctor his voice almost betrayed the level of turmoil that ran though him. "I knew teaching her your pallor tricks wouldn't end well" the Doctor said with a heavy shy. He closed the com link and sighed as he carried Kes like one of his own children to sickbay.

**Voyager **

'It was going to be one of those days'. Was all Kathryn Janeway thought as she made her way to the sick bay past crowed of anger and confused crewmembers. A few hours ago everything was fine well as fine as things on Voyager very got then when the alarm sounded to interact Seven of Nine's had betrayal them.

Since then all hell has broken loss. In the few hours since had been run raged with trying to control her crew who suddenly resembled a barn yard full of headless chickens rather than trained star fleet offices. By some miracle Seven of Nine had be stopped but not by any conventional means.

Tuvok had told her that Kes had used her new powers to stop the drone woman but in doing so she destabilized the subatomic structure of the Jeffery tube. When she had arrived down in Engineering B'Elanna was on the verge of melt down according to her they would have to replace every square millimetre of the Jeffery's tube now.

For the last few hours Tuvok had also been trying to figure out if Seven of Nine's signal had had attracted any unwonted attention. It seemed the Borg had ether not revived her call for help or if they had revived it they had not acted on it yet. Nether option filled her with confidence.

**Sickbay**

Kathryn cleared took long calming breath as she walked into sick bay. She tried thinking of happier times when her life was simple when she was engaged to be married to the man she loved, when she had been sent to round up a band of Maquis misfits armed with one the most advanced ships Star fleet had ever built. God she missed the old days when the worst out there was Cardassian's, Romulan's or the odd Klingon with a grudge.

She was never one to think that ignorance was blessed but her time stuck in this god forsaken quadrant had convinced her otherwise. There were things out hear that humanity was not ready for. She cleared her mind as best she as she stepped into the sickbay and walked state over to Harry who was lying on a bio bed with a bandage around his neck and another on his left hand. He looked in good spirits all things conceded as he gave her a slight boyish smile. Crewman Bendera on the other hand was still unconscious. As for Seven of Nine, she had been surgery under heavy guard the Security offices until the Doctor had said she was stable and used the medial transporter to beam her down to the isolation cell in the brig. Kes was doing her best to help to the Doctor with Crewman Bendera injures even though she, herself should have been under his care.

Kathryn sate on the end of Harrys bed and gave him a soft smile. "So how are you going Harry?" Janeway asked dropping his rank as she tended to do when one of her crew had been injured.

"I'm good Captain the Doc said my hand will be better before the end of today" Harry told her waving his bandaged hand dismissively.

"That's good to hear." She said felling relief full her only for her partial side to rear its ugly head. "Harry could you tell what happed down in Engineering?"

"Sore… everything was fine until Seven of Nine and I went to work in one of the Jefferies tubes. We started to work and then I think Seven's implants started to fail or something" He said surged in confusion as petty and guilt swelled with in him. "She collapsed, Kurt and I tried to help her but then she just went nuts and attacked us." Harry said suddenly feeling gilt ridden at his poor chose of words.

"Was it all an act" Janeway asked pointy.

Harry shock his head vigorously "No way in hell… um I mean on ones is that good and actor Captain" Harry told her seriously. "Anyway we went to work in the Jefferies tube and we were having a conversion and…"

"You did? What about?" Janeway asked her curiosity beaning picked.

He shrugged "Um I don't know I just asked her about some Borg tech we were working on I don't know nothing really" Harry said sheepishly.

Kathryn despite herself felt a sight grin twitch at her mouth. Only Harry Kim would try to have something like a normal conversation with a Borg drone. She was once again very grateful to have someone as easy going and reliable as Harry on her crew. "How did she seem to you Ensign?"

"Dissident, I spouse not very talkative although she seem interested in try understanding some things ….. like B'Elanna insults" Harrys told her but cursed himself the last thing he wanted to do was but his friend in than Captain's bad books.

She felt her eye brow go up at that evidently B'Elanna hadn't told her everything. "B'Elanna was insulting her?" Janeway asked worried but not surprised. B'Elanna would insult anyone for anything when she got in one of her bad moods.

"Not really just general hot air. You know how B'Elanna is when engineering has been you know…broken…" Harry said shyly trying not to drop B'Elanna in any hot water "but _Seven_ didn't seem to notice or care" Harry said

('_Seven'_ Kathryn thought to herself not even a week had go by her people were just acting that seven of nine was the poor woman's name. Hell they were already giving her nick names. Of cause neither she nor Chakotay had told anyone Seven of Nine's real human yet expect the Doctor. Which of course would do when Seven of nine, Annika Hansen when she became fully human then see needed a human name and once she had accepted the Voyager crew and her humanity she no doubt leave that dame abled Borg dissection behind her. "I bet but back to the issue at hand" Janeway said releasing that Harry might take that as a very bad pun because of his broken hand. "What happened after Seven of nine collapsed" Janeway asked) (help).

"Well Kurt and I tried to help her out but then she went berserk. She got up and attacked us. She took then Kurt like he was nothing" Harry said the looking over at Kurt Bendera concern fuelling his young fetchers.

Kathryn didn't know Kurt Bendera all that well but he was not someone she would ever call a light weight. He was a large man and enjoyed all manner of sports by no means a push over. The fact that Harry had just said how Seven of Nine was able to take him down without effort worried her deeply.

Kathryn remembered a time when he taken down two kazon by himself in Voyager's second year in the delta quadrant using nothing but a broken phaser rife and his fists. "Then she attack me, she had be by the neck." He said nervously rubbing his bandaged neck. "I thought she was going to kill me but she didn't she just let go and then tried to contact the Borg"

Kathryn absorbed this info. 'Maybe just maybe on some level Seven knew it had been wrong to attack Harry and Kurt maybe there was hope after all' she thought. "What happen next?" Janeway asked growing distressed at how close Harry had come to beaning killed.

"I'm not really shore I think she was trying to contact to Borg but the wall….I don't really know. The wall wrapped then hit her with a bolt of electricity…" Harry explained "Than I must have black out, because the next thing I knew I was hear." He said shaking his head in confusion.

"Thank you Harry. Rest up Ensign that's an order" Janeway said with a slight smile but harry spoke up before she could leave to talk to the Doctor but then Harry then spook up.

"Captain just one more thing" Harry said nervously.

"Yes Ensign?" Janeway asked eyeing him gently.

"It's just that she could have killed me but she didn't. I don't know what that means to her but for me it means a lot so ….um I don't know this sounded so much better in my head." He laughed sheepishly "I think we owe her a second chance Captain" Harry splatted nervously turning red in impressment. 'Just don't let her near me'.

"Maybe" Janeway told him then she walked over to the Doctor who was looking over his scans of both Kes who had been set back to her own bio bed looking like a cat slinking of to it hiding hole after leaven a dead bird at the front door and Seven of Nine. The Doctor had an irritated look on his face. "Well Doctor what have you scans found?" Janeway asked.

"Nothing good for either Ocampan or Borg" he said looking weary "Where would you like me to start?" the Doctor asked grumpily.

Kathryn wounded wearily what was his problem now. (The Doctor had not been in the best of moods ever since he had started treating Seven he had explained to her at one point that performing these surgery's without Seven of nine's consent was tantamount to spiting in the face of Hippocratic oath as well as outright ignoring his ethic programing. Then there was this whole mess with Kes) (keep or don't keep?) "Tell me about Kes Doctor" Janeway ordered pointy not in the mood for one of his lecterns.

"Well I don't really know where to start….. The actively in her brain is beyond any form of measurement. And, according to the ship's senses while in Tuvok's quarters her body underwent separation at the subatomic level than her atoms just reattached themselves as if nothing had happened. That's not all whatever this is if it is happens again we might loss her along with good portion of the ship" The Doctor told the Captain confusion as pain crossing his aged face. He looked over at Kes on the bio bed his eyes full of regret and sympathy. "I'm at complete loss as to what to do…." the Doctor said earnestly as he let out a heavy shy.

Kathryn put a hand on his shoulder "Don't give up just yet Doctor I'm shore you can think of something" Janeway said kindly.

"The problem is I have already gone through just about everything in the Federation data base and I come up empty" the Doctor told her.

"Then maybe it's time to go beyond the Federation. Seven of nine might know what happening to Kes. The Borg might have run into Ocampan's with this condition before" Janeway told him pointy.

"Captain what makes you think she's is going to help us now?" the Doctor asked hotly he could no longer to hold his Tung. Operating Seven of Nine not only adjust her wish's but was also adjust everything he believed in as a Doctor was one thing but sending an seriously ill person down to be all but incarcerated for an unknown time railed adjust all human decently. "You did slammer her in the brig. I doubt she will be very cooperative after that" he hissed angrily. The Doctor sucked in a great_artificial breath. "Frankly Captain your decisions and attitude of late have left a lot to be desired" he told her firmly._

She glared at him "Is that so Doctor I what pray tell would you have me do? In the last few weeks we barely avoided been destroyed in the Collective's war with Species 8472 all the while something strange and un explained has been changing Kes right under our noses, Chakotay out right went adjust the order we established three…four years ago and we have a human been on who has been mutilated and abused by the Borg Collative for the majority of her life and still wonts to go back to been a mindless slave. Tell me Doctor what would you have me do? Their needs to be order on this ship or everything we have worked for and everything we sacrificed. Everyone we've….I've lost for will mean nothing! So this is the line Doctor" janeway said with menace as she drew a line in the air. "You don't want to be the one who crosses it"

Shocked by her out he back pedalled "Yes Captain" the Doctor said submissively "Shaw I tell about Seven of Nine conditions?" he asked almost too politely although his light brown eyes burned in anger.

"Go ahead Doctor" Janeway told him hotly.

The Doctor he picked up a beaker of greenish fluid and showed it to her. "This is the Couse of her problems" the Doctor said looking angry and disappointed.

"What is that?" Janeway asked taking the beaker from the Doctor outstated hand and looked quizzed at the green fluid than at the Doctor putting.

"Do you remember that chemical agent that I decided to put in her system to stop her from accessing her assimilation tubes? Well this is it," he said and saw the confusion on the Captains face. "You see she had an unexpected reaction to the compound it not only stopped her accessing her assimilation tubes but attacked her implants exalting the rate of rejection from her body at a fringing pace" the Doctor told her waiting for the information to snuck in before adding. "But wait theirs more" the Doctor said sarcastic "It also attacked her nerves. We were lucky that we caught it in time before the damage became irreversible. She could have very well ended up paralysed for the rest of her life or worse" the Doctor told her his hard face becoming remorse full. He knew there was a chance of this when he studied her implants and nano probes but he was argent enough to ignore the warring singes.

"My god!" Janeway said shocked as she felt bile gurgle in her stomach "Will she recover?" Janeway asked quietly.

"Yes fortunately the damage was reversible. But we can't use it on her ever again" the Doctor told her firmly.

"Doctor I don't understand why we're having so many problems with her medic treatment?" Janeway asked 'This can't keep happening' she thought to herself first that implant in her brain that Kes used her powers to remove before coursing more damage know they had out right poisoned the ever person they were trying to save.

"The fact of the matter is we only know so much about Borg bio technology" the Doctor told her.

"What do you mean doctor you been studding that drone corpse we found for mouths and with all of Starfleet's data on the Borg?" Janeway trailed of.

"Must of the Starfleet data is years out of date and that corpse wasn't in the best of conducing when we retrieved it and the Collative is constantly evolving." The Doctor said feeling great remorse at his failures. "If we can't look after her than maybe we have face the fact that Seven of Nine may not have a place on Voyage..."

"No just NO" janeway hissed interrupted the Doctor. "We can't throw in the towel just because we've hit a few snags we won't. I can't give up on Kes or Seven." She said impassionedly. "I'm going to reach Seven of Nine if it's the last thing I do. And you're going to find a way to stop whatever is effecting Kes" she told him pointy.

Kes walked up behind the Captain havening overhead most of hers and the Doctors conversation "Captain can I speak with you for a moment in privet" Kes said her soft voice snapping the Captain's attention.

"Kes you really should be resting" The Doctor said softly but all he got from Kes was one of her heart melting smiles.

"I fine Doctor every thing is going to be all right you'll see" Kes told him kindly as she smiled a sadly at him she knew this would be her last time in sickbay and the last time she would ever see the doctor. She walked forward and placed a small kiss on his left cheek. "Thank you for everything" she wisped into his ear. She then turned to the Captain who had a slightly bemused look on her face and together they left the sick bay and went for the observation room on the same deck.


	8. Chapter 8 the end

21

Chapter five

I own know thing and I don't care.

Observation room deck five

The observation room was large but mostly empty. The only furniture was a large coach in the centre of the room and few chairs and small tables' doted around the room and a replicator built into the wall. The furniture faced a large window giving any visitor a spectacular view of space.

Kes looked wistful out the widow and into the void of space. She could just make out the realm beyond, realty. The one she had first sensed in her own quarters and again more clearly while in mediation with Tuvok. She could see how energy, matter, memory, thought, time, space, realty and so many other things all flowed in and out each other like the waters of some great river. She saw how they moved, she was being to understand how they flowed and weaved in around life to grow and flourish. A single planet or species didn't matter in the slightest, whole galaxies danced around each other, the whole of this realty as well as countless others were nothing but cells in the body compared to what she saw, to what she felt.

Kathryn looked to young friend she had grown so much in the three years she had been on Voyager. From that naive slave girl who wanted to leave her home behind to a loving friend a gild. Kes had always represented the best in the human spirit; even know she was not human. Now she looked at her young friend she couldn't help be see a stranger stand before her looking out into the void of space with a look of wonder and fulfilment filling her face, looking enraptured. "Kes" she said softly putting a hand on her friends shoulder to draw her addition away from the window screen "I won't you to know that the Doctor and I haven't giving up, we are going to find a way to help you just…" she tried of when Kes looked at her with knowing eyes as if she already knew where this conversation was going.

Kes smiled a sad smile and hugged her friend and captain. "Hold on?" she said with a sad shake of her head. "Oh Captain don't, waste your time there is nothing either you or the Doctor can do because there is nothing wrong with me." Kes said letting go of her friend and looked into her Captains amber eyes while holding Kathryn Janeway's tightly.

"But Kes you..." Janeway said before Kes put two fingers to her lips silence her protests.

Kes looked away from her friend and mentor and looked back to the stars. "Everyone thinks this is a disease or I'm been controlled by some other force but that's not true…" she said there was the slightest edge to her voice making it sharp for a moment just a moment her aspect became something else, something darker. Then the moment passed. "I'm become something greater than I am right now, this body is just a vessel. I now resize that this…" she said forming a ball of light in her hand. "This is what has been waiting for me my whole life"

Kathryn took an involuntarystep back "Kes you're started to scare me. I know this must be all very exciting for you. I also know how easy it is to loss ours self in our passions. What if whatever this is. Is not what you think it is" Janeway told her firmly but not unkindly. "Remember what happen in sick bay with Tuvok and Seven of Nine. You have to fight this Kes you have to hold on until we can figure it out and help you"

Anger flashed briefly in her glowing eyes "You just don't understand oh how I wish you could see what I see then you have no doubts why I have to go" Kes said her voice suddenly shape. She took a breath and smiled. "I appreciate everything you done for me. I love Voyager and everyone has helped me more times than I can count. Everyone has given me so many gifts. But I have to go…let me go" Kes told Janeway she saw the Captain was about to rebuke her. "Would you stop a caterpillar from turning into a butterfly?" She asked but before the Captain could reposed, her com badge beeped altering her to an income com line.

Kathryn gave Kes pleading look but all she got in return was her trademark smile and a distant look in her glowing light purple eyes. "This had better be good" janeway snapped at whoever was calling her.

"Sorry to intruded you Captain but" the unsure voice of Lieutenant Ayala came though the com link. "It's just that that drone woman is an awake and she's not very happy" he added grimly.

Kathryn pitched the bridge of her nose. "I'll be right down Janeway out" she turned to see that Kes was about to leave. "Kes please!" she pleaded.

She smiled "It's all right Captain, Seven needs you more than me. You should know your right about her… their humanity I've seen it. But she is in so much pain right now. One day she'll thank you for this." Kes told her friend "I'm going to see Neelix to say what needs to be said, good by Captain" she said a left the observation room and the Captain behind. She knew she didn't have long left, she could feel the last of the barrier falling away. Her only regret was she wouldn't be able to say good bay to all her friends and family.

**Brig**

The brig was a dark cramped place that no one ever willing entered the cells that lined the walls even more so. That was off course the intense its designers after all. Even among the small crew of Voyager the brig had earned a bad reputation. Even though those who had been imprisoned there were few and far between a smattering of aggrieve aliens and crew members alike. This lonely overlook part of the ship always brought fear and desperation to the, for fount of any one's mind, from those whom were briefly held within the cells to those who guarded them. Now held in the smallest of the cells the half drone woman Seven of Nine paced back and forwarded like a caged animal anger, hate and yes even fear coming of her.

Ayala had been on edge ever sense the drone woman had awakened only a few minutes ago. Since she had awakened she started passed back and forwards the inside of her dark cell like a caged tiger. "Please calm down Miss the Captain will be hear any moment" Ayala said not entirely shore how to calm down the clearly distraught drone woman or even if he should try.

Seven glared at the human her rage must have shone though as he to a stepped back. Her physical pain may have lessened since the Doctor had removed the defective implants and neutralize Nev suppressant that infected her system. None of this matted of Couse; the humans had her impressed in their brig.

The fear she felt ever since her had first awoken to her separation from the Collective. Now dominated her mind, the longer she lingered away from thoughts of the others, the longer she like this… the more afraid she became.

She tried to keep her wayward emotions in check but found her ability to do so partially none existent. She retaliated now that she was truly lost. It was known only a matter of time before she loss all that she was to the silence. That terrifying constant silence, it scratched away at the walls of her mind and would deliver her unto madness.

"Wait out hear Tuvok" come the voice of Captain Janeway followed by the opening of the Brig's doors opened to revel Captain Janeway. Kathryn stepped into the small brig. Lieutenant Ayala snapped to attain at her appearance.

Seven of Nine glared at her with her eyes filled with a cold hate. Kathryn studied the eyes of the other woman. She saw fear, hate and utter soul destroying loneliness reflected in them. She knew most people would have fled at the meeting that hard unshaken gaze, she was not most people. She was not to be detoured, she would get Seven of Nine though this and out other side. "Hello Seven of Nine" Janeway said in greeting as she steeped closer to the force Feld that separated her from her latest crew member. Felling very glade of the protraction it granted. She knew that, Seven of Nine was at the tipping point of her struggle.

Kathryn knew now it had been in the wrong getting her help with engineering. She had asked too much too quickly, she knew now she would have to be percent, like Chakotay had told her. Seven of Nine needed to terms with been human. She had also been wrong to have the Doctor dose the young woman with an untested drug but those were bumps in the road. She had been wrong about, a great many things of late. She would be dammed before she gave up.

Seven approached the edge of her cell. She pressed down her fears for a moment. She allowed anger to fill her. The anger gave her a sense of control. She knew that was a self-deception. She couldn't bring herself to be concerned about such things. "So this is Human Freedom, we would say we were surprised but that would be a deception" Seven all but hissed.

Kathryn breathed a sigh "Actions have consequences Seven of Nine and you actions today have lead, you here. You tried to contact the collectives and in doing so, you endanger this entry crew yourself included. You attacked two of my crew who were just trying to help you. So I have dissuaded to keep you in here until I'm certain you won't try to harm my crew again. It may become necessary for the Doctor to treat you here. It's not ideal but it will have to do" Janeway informed her pointy crossing her arms over her chest.

"I honestly believed you were going to help us but it's partly my fault for asking too much of you to quickly and having the Doctor dossing you with that chemical agent." Janeway said and saw Seven's face change from one of rage and hate to one of confusion. She must have already known about chemical agent somehow. She immediate wonted to change the suspect. "I can understand trying to contact the Collative I do, you think they're going to help you. You think they make all those pesky emotions your feeling go away and they will but at what cost Seven of Nine? My crew life's! " she said, disappointed filling her voice. Seven merely glared back. "What I can't understand is if you were in pain why didn't you let Ensign Kim or anyone else, help you?" Janeway asked she saw something like regret flicked across Seven's face when she mentioned the men. "Instead you turned adjust them"

"It was not my intension to damage your crew" she said softly realizing what she had said. She tried to clear her mind of those confusing thoughts "And you were not wrong in seeking my assistance with your matinée needs. It was my intension to help your crew with repairs to this vessel. The chemical agent you speck of was not reasonable for my actions. Weather it was introduced to my body or not weather you had my aid or not my actions would have been the same. I saw an opportunity to return to the Borg and I took it" Seven said her face and voice impassive. "If it was not for your Ocampan's subspace interference I would not be hear" Seven told the Captain pointy.

"And this entire crew would be drones now! Don't you dare blame Kes for stopping you from making a terrible mistake" Janeway stated clearing her thoughts she was starting to get paranoid.

Seven's glare intensified "As is your attempt to assimilate this drone into your Human Collective will ultimately to be a mistake." Seven spat, her blue eyes flashing dangerously "You can alter my appearance but you cannot change our nature. WE are Borg and we will betray you" Seven said low and threating manner "We are Borg we have always been…" she said training of. She closed her eyes as confusion filled her for a few moments. More memory's had snuck past her failing mantel defences.

It was only a small memory. She remembered been on a grassy field. The air was cold but not so cold as to be disruptive. There was a sweet smell in the air the sun rays were warm. Her younger self was her human self was running away from a tall human.

The man was tall with the same sky blue eyes that she possessed and short blonde hair. The memory played out she didn't fell any fear from the person as he caught up with her and picked her up in his arms holding her tightly "… Ok, ok, Ni fångad mig Papa Jah det ( note I couldn't find the Swedish word for ok: you caught me papa I'm it) " her memory self said lathing, she remembered lather. The memory fell away leaving her shaking.

She felt something she had never felt before. It wasn't fear or anger taken possession of her mind nor was it the logic of the Borg. It was something… else. "…Borg" Seven said quietly at last letting the moment pass. She retreated away from Captain Janeway, deeper into the cell, shadows covering her.

Kathryn saw the confusion on Seven of Nine's face and herd it in her scared voice, if she was a betting woman, she wold guess that what Seven of Nine had just experienced a memory from her human past. "You're starting to remember your life before; you were a drone aren't you?" Janeway asked knowingly keeping her voice calm and gentle.

"WE…. I have no memories…I don't want to have these memory's…" Seven said tearfully.

Kathryn felt sympathy fill her. "I know it must be hard for you, I can't even begin to imagination the pain and confusion you must be going through right know." She said kindly the younger woman still faced the wall refusing to make eye contact. "You were human once, we both know that. You'll have to lessen to your human side again. Because the Collective won't help you! You think they can make all that pain, fear and anger you're felling go away. You think they can make you whole again" Janeway said and saw Seven turned to stare at her knowingly.

She defiantly hit the nail on the head that time, now to capsize on it. "But it's a lie Seven of Nine you know it is, some were deep inside you. You know how much they hurt you! How much they have hurt some many others like you! Before you were Borg you were happy and free and complete human. You were a child for god's sake! They brutalized you, deceived you, they stole your life away from you! That stops now! Now you can have everything they took from back" Kathryn said passionately.

"You believe I can become fully human?" Seven asked quietly turning her gaze back to the Captain. She felt the anger drain from her for a moment and in that moment she almost faulted. Almost!

"Yes" Janeway said without hesitation. "It won't be easy but you strike me as someone who doesn't give up easily"

"I will become automation, independent?" Seven asked her voice hesitate.

"Yes that's what it is to be an individual Seven of Nine. That what it means to be human"

"If at that time I choose to return to the Borg will you allow it?" Seven asked turning away from the wall to look Janeway state in the eye.

Kathryn felt like she was been studied. "I don't think you'll won't to go back. I think you'll stay here with this crew" Janeway told her. "You're new Collective, your new family"

She felt the anger rise again "You would dine us the chose! You have imprisoned me! Separated me from my people! In the name of humanity! Yet you well not grate us you're most, chariest belief. To choose my own fate! You are hypocrisy, manipulative. I do not, won't to become, what you are! Return us to the Collective… NOW …" Seven screamed.

"You lost the ability to make that chose the moment you were assimilated, they took that from you and until I'm convinced you got it back. You're not going any were" Janeway told her pointy crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then you are no better than the Borg" Seven said turning from Janeway to stand in the darkest corner of her cell staring at the wall with her banged back to the Captain, silence filled the brig.

Kathryn knew she wasn't going to get any more out Seven of Nine for the moment the younger woman was retreating into the Borg mentality that dominate her for eighteen years to try and shield her from the inevitable. That shield would fail her eventually. The pure pain and loneliness that Kathryn had seen in Seven's eyes had given that away. It was only a matter of time.

Kathryn left the young woman to alone. Just before the doors of the Brig opened to allowed her to leave, she heard the tiniest of sops coming from the cell. 'Yes only a matter of time' she thought.

Seven of Nine was once more alone expect for her silent guard. Loneliness came crashing down on her. The walls and force field seemed to close in around her, shadows played at the edges of her vision.

She felt the tears roll down her face into her scars. She was alone and she hated it.

**Mess hall**

The mess hall had packed to the brim day in and day out for the last few weeks. Now without those noisy crowds a strange quite filled the space as if it was holding its breath. Dining tables and chairs shined in the dimed half lights. The only two occupants were Kes and Neelix.

Kes sat at the table closet to the counter. She watched Neelix potter around his kitchen for the last two minutes. Now and then diving under the counter a befuddled searching expression on his spotted face.

"Neelix do you need any help?" Kes asked kindly seeing his mow hawk pop up from behind his gallery. Remaindering her of the dorsal fin, from that shark in the movie that Tom had choosing for movie night. What was it called again Jaws, he had insisted that it was one of the twentieth century's, scariest movies. To his dismay most of the crew laughed it off for being too cheesy herself shameful included.

"No, no I'm quite all right …. Now where did I put it?" he asked muttering to himself. "I could have sworn you were around hearing some were….. Ah there you are!" Neelix said rising above the counter with a bottle of yellowish wine with two wine gasses. He walked over to their table and pored Kes and himself a glass each. "Talaxian spring sampan, moon ripened your favourite!" Neelix explained.

"Neelix! Where did you get this?" Kes asked in wonder knowing that the wine was very rare and one of his most prized positions. When they had been together, he told her that there were only a few bottles left in existence.

He blush, the fact of it was this was his second last bottle. Most of the others had been bartend away over the years to get Voyage much needed surpluses not that he had told anyone that other than Kes this. He been happy to part with them, his friends needs were gather then his own but with each bottle lost to greedy merchants, he felt more and more of his home drift away like sand though his fingers. "Oh I just put a bottle away but it wasn't easy keeping it out of the crew hands" Neelix told her with a chuckle as a wide smile split his face, he knew the smile didn't reach his eye.

"Neelix's you shouldn't have!" Kes told him shyly before taking the glass of yellow wine that smelt of flowers in bloom just after a sweet and fresh sent. She took a little sip so as to saver this moment. As soon as the wine entered her mouth her taste buds exploded with sensation. The wine was very sweet like pure honey mixed with straw berries with a bubbly robust after taste of dark chocolate.

"Do you remember the first time we drunk this?" Neelix asked after taking a small sip for himself his golden eyes lost in memory.

"Three years ago when we first came on Voyager" Kes said wistfully "it feels like a life time ago" Kes said with a sad smile. "So much has changed"

"Yes it has" he said knowing Kes was been both literal and metaphorical. "And do you remember the toast I made than?" Neelix asked kindly.

Her eyes seemed to shine for a moment as she remembered. "To you and me and to the adventure" Kes said picking up her glass as if to toast but Neelix had stalled for a moment then took his glass and taped it to her making the toast.

"To the adventure" Neelix said sadly, there was a long silence between them.

She looked at his long aged face; she saw both mischief and melancholy in his bright yellow eyes. He had aged a lot in the last few years the spots on his face had stated to grey and his hair in his mow hawk wasn't quite as thick as it was three years ago. "Neelix I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you and I still love you I just …." Kes trailed of not know what to say. She may have near god like powers not that the powers themselves interested her in the slightest. It was more like all that she had been though in her life had led to this monument, that didn't mean she wasn't sad to leave her friends behind. It didn't mean that it didn't break her heart to say good bye. She would mess Neelix the most of all her friends and co-workers. They may have had their differences and falling out's, he was still and always would be her best friend.

He reached forward and held both her hands with his own "I know" Neelix told her then shaking his head sadly "You could never hurt me not really. I…I was just holding you back. That's clear to me known like you said the caretaker was holding back your people when you left Ocampa" Neelix said restoring.

"On Neelix you could never be like the caretaker" Kes told him pointy "I could never have come all this way without you Neelix and I…."Kes said tearfully "I'm going to miss you more than you know" Kes told him feeling tears fill her eyes and run down her checks.

"Kes!"...Neelix said in slight shock but Kes for her part just put her fingers of her to his lips to silence him. Then she took them away. "So you're leavening?" Neelix asked sadly handing her a hanky from his breast pocket.

"Yes" Kes said simply taking the hanky and wiping her face "Very soon" she said regret felling her voice then she looking down to the table.

He saw the confect on her pretty face "Kes you don't have to go if you don't what to I'm shore whatever this is the crew can help you with it" Neelix told her but she only shock her head.

"Oh Neelix it's not that simple" she said wistful "it not just I have to go but I won't to…. I can't really explain it" Kes said but as she looked up she knew that Neelix didn't understand.

"Maybe you could tell me what's happening to you? Neelix suggested.

Kes nodded "Every ware I look, I'm see beyond this reality. For example I look at an object I see into the space between the atomies is been filled with something else… Were the dissection between space of time of matter and thought doesn't exist, that's only the begging" Kes told him closing her eyes as if to concentrate.

"Well that sounds…..I don't know that sounds Kes but if your sure about this" he's said trailing off "I know this crew will never be the same without you" Neelix told her.

"I know Neelix…..thank you" Kes said then she opened her eye's suddenly and they were a glow with blue energy and the table started to change colure and tester the matter of the table melted together as a unearthly surged from it. "It's time"

"Ah Kes maybe you should relax for a moment" Neelix told her fleeing fear pass though him. She started to flicker like a candle. "Kes stop this"

"I don't ….won't to stop… I can't….. I have to…." Kes said in a voice was not holey her own as her body started to shimmer and loss its form as did the table and chair she sat on. They warped and melted into each other. She more sensed then saw Neelix jump away from the table. She couldn't hold back anymore the bonds that held her to this realty were falling away.

Neelix then pressed his com. "Neelix to Captain Janeway" he said not knowing whether to move closer or away from his ex-love.

"Neelix what's going on down there we just picked up strange reading from the mess hall" Janeway said as she was about call the mess hall but the Crew on the Bridge worked furiously around her trying to stabilize that area of the ship.

"Captain Please hurry its Kes… she's….she I don't know what's happen to her but she looks like she is disappearing. I don't know what to do….." Neelix said trailing of in shock.

"I'm on my way" Janeway said.

Tuvok and Kathryn soon reached the mess hall. They find Neelix unconscious on the floor and Kes hovering mid-air emitting a bright golden light as her body warped. The tables, chairs and floor around her were warping, having lost their original shape.

Tuvok went to check on Neelix scanning the Talaxian with a tricorder haven seen a large bloody mark across his forehead. He tried to read the data but it made no sense so he had to use a more traditional method to check Neelix vitals. Putting his fingers to Neelix's neck and measuring his breaths. He came to the concussion that Neelix must have stumbled back in shock and hit his head. He looked to the Captain who was transfixed by Kes. "Captain Mr. Neelix has a head injury but my tricorder is failing to operate this close to Kes's transformation. I believe he requires emendate treatment."

Kathryn nodded in agreement as she slowly approached Kes "Kes you must stop this now do you hear me?" Janeway order her friend who looked little more than a beam of ever-changing light. Only the vague shape of her body remained attached to reality like a burn shadow of an atomic blast.

She longer had a mouth to speck with so she reached out with her mind to commutate "I sorry Captain. I have to go" Kes mind spoke "Captain I can't stay on Voyager everyone is in danger …. Please Captain you have to let me go"

"Kes" Janeway said with a sob as Kes's voice started fading.

"Captain! That section Deck two your in is destabilizing whatever you're doing down there you better fix it fast" Chakotay's said static voice filling the com line.

"Chakotay get a shuttle ready…." She ordered softy "Kes is leaving us" Janeway said sadly she had to thing of the bigger picture she may not want Kes to go but it seemed to be what the younger woman wonted and the rest of the crew would be in danger if she stayed. 'The needs of the many and all that' she thought bitterly.

"What?" Chakotay asked in shocked puzzlement as he looked around the bridge to see the confused and shocked faces of the crew around him.

"Just do it" Janeway Ordered hotly there was no time for discussion.

"Understood Captain" Chakotay said levelly.

"Kes you must regain control if only for a moment" Tuvok told Kes walking to toward her changing form.

"I can't…. it's…. too much… I don't what to hurt anyone….." Kes mind spoke. She barely managed to halt the change she was able to pull herself back, just enough to regain her solid mass.

Tuvok raced over and perform a mind meld, he griped both sides of her head and his mind was filled with unbelievable beauty, he resisted it, purging the images. "My mind to your mind…..My Mind to….your mind …" Tuvok said grunted with effect. His face wreathed in pained concentration "Kes, you must hold one only for a moment….. Grasp this moment allow it to fill you … hold you mind in the now." Tuvok said and Kes seemed to stabiles for a moment "We must hurry Captain" Tuvok said wiping green blood that ran from his nose.

"Chakotay, beam Kes over to the shuttle" Janeway ordered. Tears ran down her face as she watched Kes disappear.

**Shuttle Bitter traveller**

In the Shuttle "Bitter traveller" Kes appeared in an flash of transporter light. She staged to the control panel and punched in a departed course away from Voyager. Every moment felt like her body might jive up as her power consumed her.

She knew this was it, she would miss all her friends with all her heart but she knew this was right. She just had gotten far enough away when her body started to loss its shape once more. She breathed in as the universe filled her soul almost too braking point. She took one last look though view screen to see Voyager floating in space. Realty fell away as one last vision entered her mind.

The vision showed of each of the crew in turn some would die on their joinery home and that left great sadness in her heart. Many others would live to see Earth and their loved ones again. She saw love and heartbreak joy and sorrow in equal messier. She saw Tom and B'Elanna in the sickbay, a baby girl asleep in B'Elanna's arms, the Doctor looking on with pride.

She could see Harry being promoted by Captain Janeway to full Lieutenant and reunited with his friend Libby.

She saw Tuvok and his wife looking over the green, blue sphere of Earth holding each other close.

She could see Neelix whit a beautiful Talaxian woman and a young Talaxian boy about Naomi Wildman's age. She could tell he was no longer on Voyager, it looked like he had final found someplace to call home. She saw Samantha and her daughter reunited with husband and father.

Lastly she saw the former drone Seven of Nine who was as she had seen her in her vision in sickbay a few days ago. This time however she was wearing elegant yet simple strapless red dress. Her long golden hair flowed from her head to reach down and cover her shoulders. She was dancing with Chakotay of all people. The Commander was wearing a simple Wight mussel shirt, black jacket and long black pants. Their dance was strong and passionate, full of confident and grace. They were dancing in a lager caverns room that Kes recognized as Cargo bay two though it was no longer a haunted place of nightmare. The overhead lights made the room gleam like sliver, Chakotay pulled Seven to him, she blushed a wide smile filling her face.

With that her vision ended, she knew she had made the right chose. With a ghostly hand she managed to Contact Voyager over the com.

"I give you my final Gift. I know you will all make the most of it" Kes said then was lost to golden light as she and her shuttle warped sending out a wave of power she use her last thoughts to pick Voyager up like a child's toy and tossed them as far as she could. With that final act she despaired.

**Voyager **

The whole of Voyager shock like it was a toy thrown into a storm. The crew stumbled and held on to each outer and the nearest equipment, wall or rail whatever they could hold on to.

"Torres to Bridge, I Don't know what the hell is going on but the warp core has just come on line" B'Elanna said having managed to hale the Bridge disputer feeling like her stomachs were in her throat as she fought to keep her lunch down. "Matter to anit-matter reaction is 102%! 110%, 135%! , This is impossible" she said reading the very growing numbers as the reacted reached higher and higher.

Voyager was catapulted at speeds what would be concerned impossible by any sane person. The crew held on for dear life only barely able to keep the ship in one peace but as soon as it had come. The speed bleed away and Voyager came to a stop.

**Bridge **

Kathryn had made it onto the bridge just before Kes's good by "Report" Janeway ordered.

"We just dropped out of whatever the hell that was" Tom said breathless as his tried to make sense of the reading the Nav was feeding him.

"Our systems are coming back on line" Chakotay told her relief filling his voice as he tipped into the command console near his chair although he couldn't make much sense of the info that clawed up the screen.

"On screen" Janeway ordered expectedly.

The main view scene came to live with a flash. The crew looked out the view screen to see millions of new stars and vast space unexplored space.

"Where are we?" Janeway asked as awe filled her voice and she slow sat down in her captain's chair.

"About….. 9500 light years from where we were" Tom said checking the facts on his helm console.

"Kes throw us safely beyond Borg space" Janeway said as tears flowed from her eyes. She looked to Chakotay who seemed to be having a similar reaction just but managed to hold himself together. He reached into a pocked and taking a hanky out, handing it to her. She took it giving him a gratefully smile "And ten years closer to home" she said solemnly wiping her face.

**The Brig **

Days had past slowly for Seven of Nine as she slowly paced her dark cell. It had not been an uneventfully few days. If indeed it had been days at all. She had lost track of time when her internal clock had stopped functioning correctly blocked by pain. She did know that later the same 'day' after her last conversation with Captain Janeway, the ship had shock as if under attack, for a briefest of moments she allowed herself to feel the emotion humans called hope.

Perhaps the Collative had come for her and she would not be alone anymore. It was not to be there was no sign of the Borg and loneliness crashing down on her again.

Ever sense then she walked back and forward in her tiny cell like a caged predator as her energy and will slowly drained away as they did so, memories clawed at her frying mind.

They would show themselves from time to time when she closest to braking point then flee like carrion birds consuming a corpse disturbed by her presence. They returned time and again, to peck at her. Her own company had been the holo-graphic Doctor who had come to remove yet more of her failing implants. Every time he arrived she tried to fight him off, been a hologram he was immune to her assaults.

She still resisted she needed to, even if it was pointless, if this was to be her fate for the remainder of her life. She would have her tormentors feel the weight of her suffering. She would not go quietly.

She would endure.

She would resist.

She would yell, scream and pled to be sent back the Borg. It all had failed.

It was approaching what she believed to be her fourth day or was it her fifth day in this cell?

Again she couldn't be sure. As all her Borg stammer had left her. She had started muttering to herself, trying and failing to keep the memories away from her degrading mind. The cell itself seemed to be closing in around her, the shadows that had taunted her for days now had become ticker.

Just like her attempts in resisting the Doctor and her captivity had all proven futile. So had her attempts to resist 'her' memories, proved futile. In this dark cell that stank of her fear, loneliness and pain. Those were her only companions as her mind swayed from one agony to another.

It went when beyond physical pain.

She was scared. She was small.

She was alone. She was Lost.

She was irrelevant. She was imperfect.

She was one. Just one voice, one….one…..ONE!

She could not stand it anymore, it was all too much the silence, she hated the silence more than anything. Whatever barrier held the memories at bay cracked then. Her mind felt like it had been split open and everything came gushing out. Memories ran screaming into her mind.

They came like a waterfall over a cliff. The teasing thoughts only lasted mere moments; all of them were vague half remembered thoughts and felling. The latest one was where she was on a ship but not a Borg craft. In the memory she was alone in the dark hiding under the blankets, the small ship moaned around her. The darkness was absolute her eyes could not peace it. Gust like now, she was scared and alone.

She pulled away from that memory. Though sheer force of will she pulled away from the madness that beckoned her. She knew now what she had to do to, she had to get out. She had to get OUT! NOW!

Using what little strange was left, she lunched herself at the shields of her cell. She rammed it again and again; her skin bustled and started to bleed. She screamed out her pain, loss and fury until it became a wordless shirk of noise.

Lieutenant Ayala was shocked to core by the shear anger, hate and pain that the drone woman screamed as she seemed to final loss her mind. "Pease Miss stop you're going to kill yourself!" Ayala told the rampart drone woman who terrified him beyond belief.

"Irreverent!" Seven screamed as loud as she could as she rammed the shield again. The shield replied her again and adain, she did not stop if anything she only grew more desperate.

Ayala hit his com badge "Lieutenant Ayala to Captain Janeway!" Ayala said trying to be herd over the former drones screaming. "We need you right away; Seven of Nine is attacking the shield in the brig…." Ayala said training of.

"I'm on my way" came the voice of the Captain and a few moments later the Kathryn arrived but by that time Seven had stopped her attacks on the shield instead going back deeper into her cell as she seemed to be wimping like a lost child. Kathryn could see the burn marking on Seven's skin and the burnt implants on her body and broken bandages. It was up to her to save Seven of Nine from her own personal hell.

Kathryn had brought a pad filled with all information she managed to dig up on Seven of Nine's human past. She approached the lip of the shield careful and saw that Seven of Nine was little more than a muttering wreck of a woman, stumbling around her cell.

Seven of Nine, sensed the Captain's presence she turned and regarded her coldly. "The others are gone. I….am…..One" Seven stated stiffing back tears of pain and loss.

"Yes you are, you were always met be an individual" Janeway confirmed evenly her word full of Sympathy.

She griped her head as if it might explode "I cannot fun…sun this way" she strutted her eye still defiant "So Alone, So Small…. Imperfect" Seven said swaying on her feet looking like she was about to collapse.

"You're not alone, I'm will help you and this crew will help you. All you have to do is ask" Janeway told the damaged younger woman honestly.

"If that is true then you won't do this to me send me back to my own kind" Seven commenced her voice pleading and desperate.

"You're among your own kind humans" Janeway told her earnestly.

"I don't remember what it is to be human…..I don't know what it is to be human … I have always been Borg" Seven cried. Hot tears ran down her face, her body swayed as if battling a heavy wind.

Kathryn taped to key pad for the shield matrix for the Seven's cell. "What are you doing?" Seven asked scared steeping deeper into her dark cell.

"I'm coming in" Janeway told her as the shield diapered.

"I'll kill you" Seven treated weakly even as she said this, she backed away from Captain Janeway. Feeling a mix of hate rage and fear fill her fail mind.

"I don't think you will" Janeway said locking eyes with the sickly woman as the shield deactivated. She slowly walked up to the younger woman as if she was some kind of wounded animal. She activated a large data pad in her hand and showed to the distraught woman. "Do you remember her?" Janeway asked showing the picker of a wide eyed and smiling Annika Hansen. Her name was Ann…"

"Ann…Annika Hansen" Seven said slowly having trouble with the words as yet a small memory played at the edge of her mind.

"That's right" Janeway beamed before calming herself she knew she had to take this slowly. "This is you at three years old taken on our aunt's home in Stockholm, Sweden, Earth. Seven of Nine, Your as human I am" Janeway said closing the distance between them but Seven backed away.

"No you… are wrong that is … impossible" Seven splatted brokenly backing away but Kathryn just closed the distance again. "No…I am Seven of Nine I have always been…" she said trailing of, feeling tears roll down her face.

Kathryn knew it was time for this poor broken woman to know the truth "Ok…"she said calmly. "How about I tell you about her then?" she asked kind. "She was born star date 25479, Eslöv general hospital we still don't know much about her to be honesty, who where her friends, what did she like to do, what was her favourite colour?" Janeway sated giving seven a kindly smile. "Maybe you fill us in Annika"

Seven was then hit be a more recent memory of when she and Commander Chakotay had briefly been connected "What do you remember? What did you like? What did you hate?" he asked. "Who did you love? What food did you like? What was your favourite colour?" Chakotay had asked.

Seven almost reached out to the pad. "Irrelevant" she screamed, smashing the pad out of Janeway hands it hit the floor with a bang. "Take me back to now!" Seven yelled feebly. Janeway backed off and put up a hand to prevent Lieutenant Ayala from interfering.

"I won't do that you belong hear" Janeway told her. "You won't be alone again I promise. You have a chance hear on Voyage. A Chance to be your own person with your own thoughts and desires you can have all the things Collective ever denied you" Janeway told her.

"So quite" Seven nearly bulked over grabbing her head in pain "I need the others please don't do this to ME. I can't I won't lose… them… I am…." Seven said more to herself then Janeway but Kathryn knew it was now or never.

"You have to lesson to your human side from now on. I know you hear it….don't run from it. In brace it. It's who you are" Janeway said passionate.

"ARGGGG" Seven screamed as she lunged at Janeway but missed and she ended falling to on the floor. Whatever had held her emotions in check fell away and she started weeping.

"HELP ME…. HELP ME" Seven pleaded. She cried uncontrollable letting everything she felt flow out of her in a stream of hot tears that poured down her face.

Kathryn bent done to hold the scared younger woman in her arms. Seven swayed back and forward losing all control, weeping like a traumatised child. "It is going to be a right I promise" janeway told her gently.

**Captain's ****quarters**

"Captain's personal log: It's barely been a week since Kes left us. The crew is still in morning. I doubt the hole she has left in all our hearts will heal any time soon if ever."

"We still don't know all the facts about what happed or why but I hope that Kes finds whatever she's looking for and I wish her god's speed."

"But thanks to her little push Voyager is now ten years closer to home and safe beyond the Borg reach. At least for now though I can't help but wonder if I made the right chose regarding the alliance. In the end I have to be the one who deals with the aftermath."

"Speaking of aftermath Seven of Nine final connected to having the rest of her implants removed but the Doctor has informed me that even with Lieutenant Tom Paris help and three days of near continues surgery the still couldn't remove 23% of her implants. As for Voyager herself, B'Elanna and her team were finally able to remove the last of the Borg components except for Cargo bay two were Seven of Nine has been recuperating the last six days. Voyager is finally making good speed but we are still licking our wounds"

"I have to emit I was sceptical about keeping Seven of Nine down in cargo bay, according to the Doctor she will likely will need to use her Borg alcove for rest of her life if she wonts to stay healthy. I've had Tuvok and his team keep a close eye on her but according to him she has done nothing but regenerated for the last six days."

"I only hope…" Kathryn tailed of as her com badge beeped. She signed. "Computer end recording and save it to my personal file. Janeway Pie 721" She ordered.

"Confirmed." the computer droned.

Kathryn pressed her badge. "Captain Janeway hear"

"I hope I'm not disturbing you Captain" the Doctor said over the com link.

She sighed "Not at all Doctor what do, you need?"

"Well needs a strong word Captain.." he said cheerfully.

She pinched her noise in irritation "Doctor the point please?" Janeway asked.

"Oh right sorry… I would like to inform you that Seven of Nine has just awoken from her regeneration cycle and is read to reserve visitors. I have already informed Commander Chakotay as per your institutions and is on his way to meet us at the cargo bay" the Doctor said his tone lost a bit of his casual cheerfulness.

She had instanced Chakotay should join her in welcoming Seven of Nine on board once it had become clear that the now she would survive her ordeal.

He was not very optimistic about Seven of Nine's chances in the long run. For now he seemed glad that she had lived, if only to lessen his own misplaced guilt. Not that he said this of course but she knew him well enough to read him, at least some of the time. If she and Chakotay could work together any without the needling guilt they both felt then, own relationship. If nothing else it was a step in the right direction "Thank you Doctor I'm no my way"

**Cargo Bay two**

Seven of Nine stood in the low green light of cargo bay two for some time sense she had 'awaked' from the alcove she had regenerated in for the last six days. She was still getting used to the new sensations that flowed over and within her.

She caught her refection in a large full mirror the EMH…the Doctor had given her. She had asked why he had given it her and what purpose it served.

He had given a rather long and elaborate exportation. That ultimately revolved around vanity. After that he had left the cargo bay too into inform his Captain statues.

Seven of Nine supposed Captain Janeway was now her Captain too. The idea of having to operate within the limiting confines of Star fleet was a troubling prospect. However after the near distraction of her mind, she supposed it could have been as diffract as regaining her since of self.

She had initial rejected the mirror. She may have to deal with these human emotions now but felt no reason to encourage them. Especial one's such as vanity. Even so she could not help but look at her refection.

She stared into her refection and saw a stranger stare back at her. She stood a tall, chad in a silver bio suit that covered much of her body. The outfit was skin tight flowing down from her neck to clinging her body. She worn high heled boots.

Her right hand was free implants while her left hand had silver veins that covered her fingers and wrapped around her hand like a gantlet.

Above her right eye, she had a light blonde eye brow, above her left a sliver implant that curved around her eye socket. The only other reaming Borg implant on her face was a small semi-star shaped one that sat below her right ear. She now had a full head of golden blonde hair which was tied into a restive bun. She found it irritatingly long at her first awaking since the last of the surgeries were completed.

Why the Doctor had restored such superfluous part of her anatomy was beyond her, even more so was the fact that he took prude from its restoration of which left her bemused.

He was truly a strange hologram. Perhaps she would reprogram him. Though the Doctor was conceded an individual despite been a collection of programs and photos and force fields. If she was expected to become a full individual she may need his assistance. A strange expression filled her reflections face. She believed it was called a 'grimace' likely brought on by the fact since her interdiction to the Doctor. She had yet to meet an individual whom relished talking as much as he did.

Pushing such thoughts out of her mind she regarded her refection once more. She slowly reached out with her human hand to touch the mirror as if to check that this was real. Her reflation copied the movement. She reached up to touch her own her face. A stand of her golden hair had escaped the bun she touched it briefly, running it between finger and thumb before placing the strand back into place.

A memory cheeped into her mind's eye. She was sitting down staring at a reflection of herself but at a younger state. The woman she now knew to be her mother, although she knew nothing ease about this woman other than that basic fate, was combing her younger self's long wavy hair.

She remembered having hair 'how is that relevant?' she asked herself but was soon brought out of her intersection. Her enhanced hearing caught the chatter of shoes and murmurs of conversation even though the tick cargo bay doors.

Before said doors fully opened to allow 'her gests' enter. She quickly pushed the large mirror between two alcoves, so to hide it from view a though her reasoning for doing so escaped her for a moment.

The large doors of the cargo bay opened to reveal the Doctor. Behind him stepped Captain Janeway then Commander Chakotay with one of her security guards. Lieutenant Ayala, she believed he had been stationed outside the cargo bay just as he had stood guard over when she imprisoned.

The Doctor was explaining to the others the extant of her medic changes and the applications of her bio suit. He explained, how it supported her remaining implants and encouraged healing. Having already heard must of this information directly from the Doctor after the last of her surgery's, she allowed the Doctors words to drift over her and instead she forcing on the others.

The grope approached her slowly. Seven of Nine meet their eyes one by one going from the Doctor then to Captain Janeway. Then lastly she met Commander Chakotay deep steady gaze. As she locked eyes with Commander Chakotay, she couldn't help feel a small amount of intimidation at his inscrutable gaze. Even so she couldn't help but to find a kind of kinship reflected in his dark eyes perhaps even a subtle connection.

He unlike any of the others on board this vessel knew her in a way that no other individual could possibly know her. She knew enough about emotions to know what she felt towards the Commander. It was not hate or anger it was a kind of respect. She wounded absently if the rest if this crew know how truly determined he was?

The fact he was able to hold out adjust the full might of the Collative and not just speak to her on equal ground but sever her from the hive mind was astounding.

"As told you Captain and you can see for yourself I have removed 77% the Borg systems from her body. The remaining Borg hardware is stable." The Doctor saw Captain Janeway and Chakotay winch at his poor chose of words. "Most of is better than anything I could synthesize anyway" he lightly told his fellow offices but the Captains reaction was anything but amused and Chakotay's expectation was unreadable.

He then turned his gaze to Seven of Nine who was staring at them her gaze impassive and standing rigid like a solider waiting inspection. "You're going to have to have daily maintenance with me until your body has recovered fully and I like you to spend 92 hours of regeneration a week until your biologic systems are ready to take up the slack. I think weekly maintenance checks should be sufficient after that, but if you have any questions or any issues you can always come to me." The Doctor told her gently.

"I understood Doctor" Seven said crisply "How shale I proceed with interacting with the rest of this crew?" she asked.

Kathryn was pleased to hear that Seven of Nine seemed to be accepting her new situation after recovering from her initial crisis. She doubted that her newest crew member road to humanity would be an easy one. At the very least she didn't seem to be out right rejecting humanity nor was she celebrating it but either. Besides like they said, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. "We cross those bridges when get them but needless to say. You're going to have get use to a lot as a human Seven of Nine. But for now if you have any questions or need anything don't hastate to ask"

"Understood" Seven said impassively.

Chakotay was stunned to say the least at Seven of Nine's transformation the last time he had seen her. She was had been a full drone but now…. He was hastate to call her human the Doctor's long rambling lectern on the way hear had informed him that the former drone woman would always be dependent on her Borg physiology. Even so he could hardly believe that this was the same woman that Aylen had described as rabid. She now seemed to radiate calm. Even if the Doctors choose of making her look a living sliver statue was questionable to say the least.

He noticed her beauty but it was the same way as someone might admire a tiger or shark. It was the kind of beauty that hid a killer underneath. Her demine had not changed much. She was rigid as she had been as a drone, her eyes were still cold and measuring but as he looked into those pale blue orbs. He saw their, was on trace of malice in them even as they studied each other, like wolfs.

She spoke, breaking the uneasy atmosphere. "Commander Chakotay" she said her voice unsure but gradually gained confer dance "I don't not see a resin for us to adversarial toward each other" Seven stated blackly, never backing her soul piercing gaze.

Chakotay didn't really know what to really make of that. "Well that's good….. We both had to do what we had to do" Chakotay told her evenly as her glancing form her to Kathryn in turn "I hope that we can work together" he offed not shore what else to say.

"That would be acceptable" Seven stated plainly not entirely shore what had compelled her to speck.

"Well that's good to hear" Janeway said before more acquired silence could fall "let's see how things go from here on out and let bygones be bygones" she told them glad that Seven of Nine didn't seem to holding a grudge adjust Chakotay which both surprised her and gave her hope for the future. "I'll concede giving you access to the rest of the ship once I'm shore you won't try to assimilate us again" Janeway told her evenly.

"It will not happen again I have no intension of harming this crew" Seven told her Captain evenly.

Kathryn walked over and handed Seven of Nine a Starfleet com badge which Seven took but remanned were she was. "If you need anything you can contact myself the Doctor or Commander Chakotay" Janeway informed the former drone woman.

Captain Janeway, the Doctor, Lieutenant Ayala and Commander Chakotay started to leave "Red" Seven stated looking to Captain Janeway who stood on the fresh hold of leaving the cargo bay.

"What?" Janeway asked quickly looking back to her newest crew member.

Seven of Nine turned her gaze meet Commander Chakotay's weary gaze "You asked what her favourite colour it was… is red" Seven explained then turned and walked deeper into the dark cargo bay. They soon left her alone once again.

The agony of loneliness was not as hard to endure as before. It appeared to her that she was attempting to it, slowly.

She was now consigned to her new individuality. For the first time since her separation from the Collective that did not trouble her especially. She was not as afraid as she had been; her pain was easing but now would always there a constant companion as would these emotions it seemed.

Seven of Nine wasn't entirely sure her transformation to full individual would be easy or even all together successful. Neither did she believe she would ever identify herself as human. She would simply do what she had always done.

She would adapted and seek perfection weather she was Borg or human or some hybrid of the two, that would never change.


End file.
